It's been a week!

Boy, does time ever fly when you are having fun!  Of course my definition of fun might be a bit off for most people.  I've found a few cartoons/memes that spoke to me.  As in this reference to what all our Supreme Court is doing.

Of course with all the shootings these days stopping gun violence is important to everyone.

And one final thought on learning about being gay.

Of course the 4th of July came along right on time.  We've had about six days now with not a cloud in the sky.  It is only running about 100F (38C) but that's warm enough.  The wind has been running 10-15mph  (15-25kph) so I got to go out and unwrap the flag a few times.  In the evening we went out and sat in the front yard and watched the fireworks from a nice distance of not quite 3 miles (4.5km).

Then there are the important personal problems we old folks get to learn about.  I had a mole removed way back in February and afterwards was told that it was cancerous and I would need to have the remaining tiny cells removed by a procedure called a Mohs surgery.  The Mayo Clinic website says this:  "Mohs surgery is a precise surgical technique used to treat skin cancer. During Mohs surgery, thin layers of cancer-containing skin are progressively removed and examined until only cancer-free tissue remains."

I got to the dermatologist's office and it was packed!  This office is only open a couple days a week and the person who is usually here to treat you is an PA-C - a physician assistant.  Today they had a surgeon fly in from the Los Angeles area and he had plenty to do!  They tell you that it will take up to 4 hours for the procedure.  My appointment was for 08:30 and I got out at 12:13.  Close enough to 4 hours.  I was glad I'd brought a book!  The actual surgery wasn't particularly painful but there was quite a lot of blood.  In the end, I have something that is a bit painful still but better than cancer.

So that's all that's fit to print from this little corner of the world.  Thanks for stopping by.  Keep washing those hands!

Just checking in...

I don't really have much to report.  It's quiet around here and getting warmer every now and then.  Now we are up to the mid-80's(29-30C) most days and we probably won't be gettting much more rain for a while.

Haven't really gone anywhere or done anything since my last post.  Well, I've been making good use of the bbq and the smoker but otherwise it's been quiet.  This week I did a personal best when I smoked beef jerky one day and smoked salmon the next day.  There's only so much excitement an old guy like myself can take!  High point of today, after waking up of course, is going to the grocery store and seeing this sign.

I'm not sure if $19.99 is good for Titos but considering it is a new product - VOKDA - I imagine it's good.

I did visit our local marijuana dispensary the other day.  Since it is legal in Nevada, I want to try it again.  I went into the store on Friday early afternoon and they did seem to be doing a fair business.  The other customers were clearly repeat visitors.  I sure felt like the newbie.  We tried some 2 years ago when they first opened and it just didn't do a lot for either of us.  I keep reading about what a huge market it might become and figure this is something I can test personally.  Besides, I was pretty bummed about how dull the stuff was 3 years ago.  I was impressed though that the guy behind the counter could see my previous purchase in their records!

We keep talking about going places but so far something seems to come up to keep us here.  The house was built in 2005 and we've lived here for 10 years.  Things are needing work; nothing big but lots of little stuff.  Well, it's better than not being able to take care of it.  Gotta go.  Thanks for stopping by.

Financial Advice???

OK, two posts in one day?  Yeah, it's not the Don you know and put up with.  But this really called for a post.  After I posted this morning my wife and I go out to our local Chinese-Thai restaurant for lunch.  It's a nice enough little place so we have lunch and are given fortune cookies at the end of our meal.  My wife read hers out loud then I opened mine.

REALLY?  A way out of a financial mess as if by magic?  And it is the same for us both.  If I believed, I'd be searching high and low to see if we are in a financial mess that I don't know about.  Or maybe it is for our country?  I'd love a way out of THAT mess.  Well, here's hoping.  Take care!

Dull, dull, dull!

I seem to be in a very quiet place in my life.  The only exciting thing right now is that I keep driving to Vegas and I've noted how exciting that usually is.

Of course once you get there things are a bit more exciting:  like all the idiots doing 80mph in a 65mph zone zig-zagging through all the rest of us normal folks.  It's not like California where everyone is doing 80, here 95% of the folks are around the speed limit. We made the trip on January 2; we made the trip yesterday and we'll be going back next week.  Maybe I need to get a life?

I was reading the Las Vegas Sun the other day; there was a great article by a guy named Glenn Garvin about 2013 and what a sterling year it was.  He reminded us of the 7 year old suspended from school for chewing his Pop Tart into the shape of a gun and saying 'bang bang'.  Then there was the teacher who was fired for telling her Spanish class that 'negro' is the Spanish word for 'black'.  (My dictionary agrees, BTW.)  There was some deaf 3 year old named Hunter who actually knows how use sign language to sign his name.  The school district ordered him to change the way he signs his name because the sign for H looks like a gun!  Really?  I mean political correctness does have some value; I really believe that.  But that's where we are talking about that other 'n' word that caused Paula Deen all her trouble.  Have I ever used it?  Hell, yes!  30, 40 years ago it was a lot more commonly used and anyone who says they didn't use it, usually in anger, is full of xxxx.  Some black guy cuts me off in traffic, it will still be a word that comes to mind.  But I'll probably just call him a stupid asshole.  Times change and so does our language.  Who would have thought 'twerking' would be a word?

So, let's all have a great 2014!  2013 can't have all the fun.  Take care!

More Vegas

My wife and I hit Las Vegas again on Tuesday on a slightly unusual quest - SHE wanted to do some shopping.  Now, most guys won't believe this, but my wife and daughter don't like to shop.  Yeah, I know it's tough to believe but it's true.  My personal belief is that they think things should just be brought to them so they are insulted by the need to look for stuff.  Anyway, they wanted to go shopping.  I got to come along.  And what did I do?  I went shopping.  Duh!

After dropping my wife off at the daughter's house, I went to the Man Cave Place:  Harbor Freight.  It really is a hoot to go into that place.  There are all these guys going around looking at every item thinking 'what does that do' or 'what could I make with that'.  We really are like kids in a toy store.  It's funny; and I have to admit that I'm as bad as anyone.  Yes, I walked up and down every aisle.  I had received a flyer from them and had a couple of coupons for things I wanted.  As it happens I bought ONE item that I hadn't planned on buying:  a pair of tweezers with a magnifying glass attached.  We'll see how that works out but old age and far-sightedness makes me appreciate magnification! 

One thing I knew I wanted was a solar powered pump to make the bird bath into a sprinkling bath.  I've read that the still water can harbor various nasties that make the birds ill.  Regardless of the truth of that, I thought having a little fountain out there would be cool.  So for $17 I got this little pump.  I've got to say, it's cool!  I've never done anything with solar except some yard lights.  This thing is so amazing.  If you cover maybe a tenth of the surface of the solar cell, it stops immediately.  When you let the sun hit it again, it's on.  Cool!  Yeah, I know, every rv-er worth their salt has solar but we don't so this is all new to me.  (Have towed our trailers over 60K miles though (>96,000 km)).  Of course the spray pattern is wrong so most of the water is being sprayed out on the rocks.  After filling the bath three times in about two hours, I brought the darned pump in!  Maybe we'll find another bird bath!  Maybe I can go back to Harbor Freight and look!

So here's proof:  see the water on the rocks on the left, I'm an idiot.  Have a good one and don't hurt yourself laughing at me.

Summer Travel

My wife and I are planning our summer travels which is mostly going over to Colorado to visit friends.  On the way back we'll spend some time in various parks checking out a few of the natural wonders of the American West.  We thought we would spend most of our time in Colorado and Northern Utah.  Later on in the year we hope to make quick visits some of the places that are closer to home like Bryce and Zion Natl. Park.  Google says it is a 4 hour drive to St. George, UT from here.  We probably don't go as fast as they expect us to but it's still a day's drive;.  If you make a week of it, you have plenty of time to wander around.

We won't be going for a while yet but we get a lot of enjoyment from making plans, looking up places we might visit in guidebooks (remember them?) and on the net. There is also a certain about of staring at maps.  As the time to leave draws closer, it just becomes more fun.  If anyone has a favorite road in Colorado or a favorite park or whatever; I'd be happy to hear your ideas.

I had a list of things I wanted to fix on the trailer before using it again; now if I could only find the list!  One thing that is a no-brainer is to wax the front of the rig.  A nice coat of wax making bug removal so much easier!  And I can do it while the rig is still in it's shed, the only piece of shade in our yard.  It's not really warm here yet but the other day I was trying to clean the car windshield and the cleaner was drying on the glass before I could wipe if off!  That's just silly.

Speaking of silly; I was watching Fox News this a.m.  Yes, I know how unlike actual news their programs are but they have great weather & traffic.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.  ANYWAY, there was a piece on Mark  Zuckerberg, you know, the Facebook guy.  Apparently he has started living a new diet:  he only eats what he has killed.  Hmmm, far be it from anyone to make fun of another's beliefs, but really!  They claim he's killed a chicken, a pig and a goat.  Why do I think he has someone else do the butchering?  And I guess plants don't count or is he killing his own corn and peas?  If that's what happens to your brain, I guess I'm glad I don't have all those billions!

Have a good one!

For Wombat

Found this photo and just had to post it for Wombat.  Wombat is the nom-de-blog of a young gentleman who drives various limos down in Florida.  I'm sorry I didn't get to meet him when I was living there.  He writes a great blog.  Wombat, please don't try this!

I don't know where this came from so if I've stolen your photo, sorry! 

Snow's gone of course

It was sure popular with the media.  Front page pictures on the papers and all the talking heads could talk about on tv.  It's better then hearing about a new war we've started though.  It's still cold; only getting up to 50F or so (10C) during the day so the snow on the north side of things is still lingering.  You would have laughed if you'd been in the car with me the first time I backed out of the garage and the tires hit the frozen snow.  I jammed on the brakes thinking I'd hit something.  What an idiot!  Guess that's what I get for living in warm climates for so long.

I occasionally visit Braja at Lost & Found in India.  Usually she is pretty solemn about things but her last couple of posts have been just funny.  First I read about New Years and Cow's Bums which wasn't all that funny until you get to the actual photo of the cow's bum!  Then she told the really sad story of a guy who was doing some plastering work who literally drank himself to death; the funny part was where she pointed out that the plasterer got plastered.  LOL  Sorry but I still think it's clever writing.

Off to the hardware store to buy some shelving.  We want to update the pantry a bit.  Life in the fast lane!  Take care.

Reunited and it feels so good....

I managed to get into Las Vegas yesterday afternoon in time to meet the plane bringing my wife and daughter back from their Mexican cruise.  Seems like they had a good time but are suffering from lack of contact with the world.  Cell phone charges are something north of $2 a minute to or from the ship; internet is $25 an hour; so they abstained but it was difficult.  More difficult for our daughter; in our travels we are often without internet and cell service is sometimes spotty.  Anyway, everyone is fine.  My wife is a little sore from a horseback ride that was mostly trotting but otherwise things are good.

I made a carrot cake for her homecoming.  I can't say it is as good as I had hoped and the cream cheese frosting is a disaster. I lost my original cream cheese recipe so got one off the internet.  Bah humbug!  The one I chose has way too much butter which I had to offset with way too much powdered sugar.  Not very good at all and I can see my cholesterol count rise just looking at it.  Between all my minor injuries the other day and the cake; I've got to stay in bed more!



I've talked about the local race for the Senate seat held by Harry Reid.  I just cannot vote for the challenger, Sharon Angle.  Her ideas about abolishing social services are just too radical for me; I'd consider it a step backward for our society.  I also think she would be far less effective at promoting Nevada in the Congress.  I would love to have someone to support rather than Harry but there it is.  One of our neighbors has had some anti-Harry signs in his yard for quite a while.  This one I found amusing at least.

Poor Harry!  Headfirst in the trash can.  LOL  At least the guy has a sense of humor.  Have a good one!