Really tired

Seriously sore and tired. 

This respiratory infection stil keeps hanging on. Thought it was gone but it bounced back. Been drugging myself silly to keep myself from coughing up a lung. 

After work, got most of the two irrigation zones set up in the back yard. Almost done, should be able to finish all of it in minutes tomorrow. Had to let it go tonight because it got too dark.

Had to pull the irrigation lines from the furthest back areas to clear weeds, done with a series of small burns. Had to limit size and duration for safety and to avoid attention from the fire department. Managed all of that. Can clear the rest manually. I'm seriously careful with these burns, wetting all areas surrounding each burn area, keeping the burn area small and limiting the time for each burn to only a few minutes, usually under 10 minutes. 

Probably could have run acid through the lines for one zone tonight but decided it best to do both zones in one evening. So, have to do the plating out on Wed evening. 

Even after all of that, still had to do dishes and cooking. Had a huge pile of dishes and had to cook the last of the chicken before it spoiled. 

Swimming

Took daughter swimming today. She likes the new swimsuit. We had fun, picked up a couple of new toys for the swimming pool at Dollar Tree before we went to the pool.

I told her the truth about the dogs this weekend. Of all the dogs, she asked about the one that was killed before any other dog. Had to tell the truth. Telling a lie now would lead to more lies later. Like what happened to the oldest female when I take her to the shelter. If I told her the dog ran away, she would be looking for her for years, hoping she was okay. If I told her someone adopted the puppy, she would ask if we could visit and make sure the pup was okay. 

It was hard for both of us to talk about it. However, she instantly agreed with my decision to take the older female to the shelter as soon as her puppies are weened. The oldest dog attacked the younger female again today. Daughter was trying to think of a way we could take her to the shelter now, to keep the other dogs safe. Maybe even letting the younger female nurse the puppies. I can't be sure that would work. So the older female is now tied on the long line to the fence. At least that way the other dogs know her space and can avoid her. 

I got the fertilizer injector valve installed today. Once I patch the lines and set them up as needed for the year I can run some acid through the lines and the system will be ready for the year. Should be able to get al that done tomorrow. At least for the two back zones. If I have enough connectors, have the whole system ready to go. Can plant out cool weather crops on Tue evening. Though I have a lot of work on different zones, so probably get one zone at a time running. Right now, the two main garden zones are what need attention. Should have it all done inside of a week or so.

Cleaning

So, got a bit of cleaning done this morning. Nothing fantastic but general stuff. Sweeping, mopping, laundry, etc.

Also checked and filled fluids in the car. Still to much oil in the engine. Was hoping it would have burned off more but apparently this engine is actually in good enough condition to not do that. Check engine light keeps coming on intermittently, which it did not do before I changed the oil. Guess I'll have to climb underneath and drain some out this week. Don't want to blow a seal.

Daughter wants to build a worm farm. So we went out and dub in the compost bin. Only found one small earthworm. Otherwise just grubs so far. Too early yet. Earthworms really populate after things start growing, since they eat fresher dead plant material. And they need warmer temperatures. Not far off.

While she was going through the compost for worms, I went ahead and laid out the irrigation lines. Still have to reconfigure, patch and flush. All that won't take long. Hardest part will probably be tapping the hole for the fertilizer injector. That has to be rather precise and it's going into galvanized steel. I may wind up having to buy a couple more connectors because of the different configuration this year but check what I have on hand first. Those won't be needed until later, though.

Finally got daughter a new swimsuit today. To my surprise, she picked a black one. However, all the more colorful ones available had padding in the chest which she had no interest in. Smart kid. She also does not want a bikini. 

We decided to go swimming tomorrow because of the short time frame today.

We made almond milk chocolate ice cream tonight. Less fattening, equal protein and more calcium than regular ice cream. I've also cut back on sugar and using sucrose, which has no calories for sweetener. I haven't bought a bag of sugar for the last month. She liked the almond milk ice cream. Has even stated before she likes the chocolate almond milk better than regular. So do I, aside from the price. Worth the price since it avoids gas and gastric damage, though.

Slight down side to my digestive healing. I am beginning to gain some weight now. Going to have to start getting some exercise. Not going to complain about that by any means. With the problems I've gone through the last few years, I would much rather have to deal with losing weight than struggle to keep it on! That means my body is absorbing calories and nutrients again. 

It also means I can enter into an exercise program and build muscle rather than burning so much that an exercise program would actually cause me to lose muscle mass, which is where I have been for quite some time. At least 2-3 years. 

Really hoping after I am fully over this respiratory illness that I will be back to normal again. Get a few major tasks completed and start getting some exercise a few times a week. 

Never mind. Just hopped on the scale. No weight gain. In fact, I lost about 4 lbs. guess I need to go back to the protein powder once I can afford it.

Recovery

Still congested. Coughing a lot but all clear. Normal course for bacterial infection. Actual infection does some tissue damage. Then healing of the damage causes congestion as the body flushes dead stuff out. But the infection itself seems to be gone.

What sucks is that it woke me up early and I wanted to sleep late.

Oh well. Get some cleaning done once the house warms up.

Transplanted some pepper seedlings to larger containers last night. Then started some scorpion pepper seeds. 

Tried fixing the seat belt mechanism last night. No luck. The motor works but the mechanism is locked in the rail. I can't figure out how to dismantle that part. May require replacing the rail. Have to check with a Mazda dealer to see if the part is still made. I may have them do the work if not too much. Keep things apart to decrease the man hours. If they have the part it could be done in 30 minutes or less. All the wiring is intact.

Done

Finally finished the CV axle. That was a little more work than I had planned on. 

Of course, it wound up having to go buy another tool. What the hell ever happened to male neighbors and friends who have tools?!

Then again, what the hell ever happened to neighbors who don't have 8 ft fences, multiple fence lines, dogs and no doorbell? I guess to have those kind of neighbors you have to have neighbors who aren't afraid of the police and/or immigration busting them. It's security if you have a fence and a doorbell. It's hiding out when you have no way for anyone to get in or contact you.

Oh, well. Happy to have the axle done. Still need to work on the seatbelt. 

Short break

Taking a short break between work and getting to the car. Least the wind died down a bit. Have to remove one shield and see if I can wedge something in to pry the old CV axle out. Something has to work.

Work started off blasting out the gate this morning. Then the walking dead took over the phones. Went from 13 cases an hour to 7.5 cases an hour. Picked up a little later. Then got placed on fax cases, my slowest skill. Still managed to pull back ahead and get 80 cases for the day. 

Even with taking a sick day (hourly pay), have managed to earn at least an extra $50 this week so far. Don't recall what my count was on Monday. Picking up an extra hour tomorrow morning. So, should bring in an extra $200 extra minimum next check. 

After the work on the car, think I'll go get a gallon of Gatorade.

Short entry

Feeling a bit better this morning. Not as congested. Lymph nodes in my neck are still a little sore. Body aches are much less.

Had to change a payment due on the 1st to the 4th. Could probably afford it but I don't like cutting things too close if I can avoid it.

Been kind of surprised at how well some of the seedlings are doing in some of the small pots. Reconsidering why some tomatoes are doing well and others not so much. Different temperatures in different rooms may be the issue. Ones in the kitchen have formed second set of true leaves. Should be a good size when I transplant them out. Looks like I'll have a decent pepper crop this year if right now is a true indicator. 

Soil is settled in the garden. Can transplant out spinach and lettuce in the next few days. Direct seed kale and carrots. 

Apart

After work, went and got more medication for my sinus infection and borrowed the tools to take the ball joint and tie rod apart. Once I got out there to do it, that part took like 5 minutes or less. 

However, had to let the rest of it sit. Too much wind and dust in my face to tolerate with current sinus infection. So it will stay on the jack until tomorrow. I also couldn't find a place to fit a tool to pry the old cv axle out from the transmission. Try more tomorrow. Once I get the old one out, I should be finished with puting it back together in about half an hour. 

Wind or no wind, had to get out in the back yard and bury the puppy. I am seriously upset about this. I have never had a dog before that killed another dog. Especially a puppy that was no threat to her. 

Made it through work today. Little rough. Coughed and sneezed in a few ears. Strangely, I think some people were nicer to me once they heard how sick I still sounded. Almost lost my voice a couple of times but didn't. Had to pause to take a quick drink a couple of times to continue speaking. 

Whatever this is is rather potent. Definitely bacterial. Luckily, I susally get over bacterial infections faster than viral infections. 

Slightly better

I am feeling very slightly better. Far as I can tell, I have my voice back. Maybe slightly scratchy. Using decongestants and nasal spray. So, I can work today.

The injured puppy died last night. From the way he appears, he went peacefully. The other dogs are upset. Except for the one who hurt him. I didn't seek her out in her corner because it would not take much for my temper to blow. 

I'm going to bury the puppy. Haven't decided how I will handle this information with my daughter. It's sad. He was a wimp but he was cute and he was calm.

Nope (edited)

Didn't get the cv axle finished. Not one single bolt on this job has been easy so far. Think I pulled a thorax muscle at one point. The whole thing seems like it has been worked on before and whoever did the work used pneumatic tools on every single part. Yet left out al the cotter pins. Great. 

Now I need a ball joint separator. Of all the cars I've ever worked on, I don't recall ever having to use one of those. First time for everything.

So at this point I am seriously sore and tired. Got a bit done today. Still not as much as I had hoped but not bad for being sick. 

Think I should be okay to work tomorrow.. With enough decongestants. Going to pile on the cold medicine tonight and knock myself out.

Not sure how well the injured puppy is doing. Seems okay at times and other times likes to hide out. However, he was like that to begin with. When the oldest female is around, I don't blame him. He's been sleeping a lot and I check on him frequently. Hope he's just sleeping while he's healing. That seems to be the case.

If the oldest female didn't have two infant puppies that need to be nursed she would be at the shelter as of today. Once her pups are old enough to ween, she's gone. No more of this.

Been checking the Wells Fargo account. They actually applied the payment this afternoon. However, I had not noted they had not posted the payment due for April yet. Until the same time they applied the payment. So the result is that this negates the payment made on the "amount to make account current". To them this is like claiming you are late with a payment which is notofficially due until 4/1. However, they do have to post the next payment due date, which is now listed as March. They just could not stand listing the account as being due for the current month. Not a problem. I still know the truth. Plus, being under two months behind makes it basically not possible to foreclose. Even if they tried, they would have to answer under any questioning the difference between what is late and what is due in the future. They keep trying. Adding on late fees to try and jack the total over the two month line. As of right now, I have a few dollars showing as not applied. But with late fees still showing as due, to keep those numbers up. Again, it is something they would have to declare if questioned. 

Mounds

Yes, I write a lot when I'm sick. 

Got most of the garden formed. Had to do it in stages because the activity wore me out.

Had not yet decided on the final formation until today. Going to be six large rectangular mounds on the south and five on the north. I only have the center walkway which splits three into six on the south plus the last two on the north to finish.

Letting the sprinkler run right now to settle the soil. 

I am making the trenches about three ft wide and a barrier trench around the does. Keep that tilled to deter grass invasion. 

The soil is holding moisture better than ever. Last time I watered was Fri I think. Today the soil remained moist just an inch or so down. The tilling before now should have made it more dry if it was going to do that but it didn't. May mean less watering will be required this year. Keep an eye on it and adjust as necessary.

Taking a short break the get to work on the car.

Maybe not

Started trying to plow the garden. A little physically strenuous but nothing all that hard. After about 20 minutes, I became sweaty and shaking. Taking a short break and try again. 

The sweating may be a good thing. Could mean my body is fighting back. 

Not sure how well the plow is going to do for the wider trenches I'm trying to form. At least it can get the rough shape formed. 

Going to have to take steps to keep the pups out of the garden. They're tearing things up and crapping everywhere. They managed to pull part of the poultry netting loose at one spot. I'm going to sprinkle some cayenne pepper at that spot and a couple of other spots. Maybe that will deter them. At least until they're big enough for the invisible fence collars. 

Going to have t rebuild the fence with stronger materials. The dogs and the winds have done damage to this one. Plus I want to make it more attractive. If I do it right, it can serve as part of a roof for the beginning of the outer section of the solarium. 

Okay, not so shaky and sweaty now. Try this again. It does sometimes help me to sweat it out when I'm sick. Probably has something to do with my low body temperature. 

South Valley

As much as I complain about NM and Albuquerque, I was reminded last night that I do like the area I live in, the South Valley.

Most people in Albuquerque don't like the South Valley. It had a past reputation of being a rough part of town. That was some time ago, though. Now, It has a rather low crime rate. At least equal to the rest of the city and lower than some other areas.

The thing I like most about it is the contrasts you can see here. Some neighborhoods are all upper class or all poor. All developed or all rural. Here, you see an amazing mixture. A nearly condemned shack may sit next to a near mansion. Next to that may be a horse ranch or a farm. A house that doesn't look like much outside may have a true Spanish courtyard. (True Spanish courtyard, considering the local history.) 

All over the South Valley are irrigation aqueducts. The roads pass over or next to them. These are over 300 years old, built under Spanish rule. They still function and provide irrigation water to many farms and ranches during spring through autumn. 

There is a lot of history, mostly forgotten, going back decades, generations, centuries, maybe millennia.  The Isleta tribe has lived here for many centuries. Most of the area became agricultural or ranch land under the Spanish and some plots still serve in the same capacity today. Roads curve through neighborhoods following the old routes which once marked property lines of large ranches and farms. Isleta Blvd behind my house was the original Route 66 before it was changed to Central Ave. there are still a few old businesses which were built at that time, including the battery shop across Isleta from my back yard. The dance studio adjacent to my back yard was once a church dating back at least as far as the 1930's and I suspect there may have been an older church which stood there before that time. Sadly, local history was not well documented between the time of Spanish rule and incorporation into the US and even for a long time after that. Most history was passed in oral tradition and then forgotten along the way. Maybe because of superstition, cameras have had sparse use until maybe the last 30 years, at best. 

Many old roads have names which display their history. Names of original ranches and properties. Isleta goes to the Isleta reservation. Rio Bravo means brave river and was a river crossing for the Spanish trade route, Camino Real. Bridge was one of or the first bridge across the Rio Grande in the city. I have tried to find out where Tower got the name but have not as yet. Gun Club did once lead to the Albuquerque Gun Club. My own street, Aaron Ct I don't know about. That's much like the street I grew up on in San Antonio, Tx, named Jim street. Nobody knew where the name came from, it had just always had that name. In each case, one can imagine one person of that name owning the only standing structure to have stood on that land in some distant past. In each case, I am suspicious that I have lived in the residence of the namesake. Each house has shown signs, though renovated, of being the oldest structure in the area. I don't consider that a bad thing. Just a stronger history. 

Sick day

Taking a sick day today. What I thought were allergies yesterday turned out to be a respiratory infection. So now I have aches, occasional chills, maybe fever (or my version of fever), coughing, sore throat and my voice is hoarse. Didn't know how bad my voice was until I called in at work. Then I could hear myself.

Oh, well. Happy I at least have sick days, so it won't have a big financial impact. 

I don't think the headache on Fri was directly related to this. However, the same condition that led to the headache may have left me open to infection. Anemia. Meaning my defenses against infection were low. 

Tried sleeping a while longer but couldn't. So, guess I'll get some things done around here in a bit. The wind isn't blowing, so maybe a good day to do the CV axle. Winds are supposed to pick up again tomorrow. On a car this size, it's not a very physically strenuous job, except for the act of getting under the car. And that part is limited. Most is done sitting on the ground next to the car.

Found the mount for the plow last night. Install that. Since the garden is already well tilled, it should take less than an hour to plow. Maybe a lot less. 

If I still have the energy and time after this things, be good to clean up the workshop. For such a small space, it's a really big mess.

Took a handful of vitamins, decongestants and ibuprofen. Waiting for that stuff to kick in before getting moving. 

So, made the mortgage payment last night. Waiting to see how they apply it. It should be pretty straightforward but with Wells Fargo it never is. However, no matter how they apply it, it should still come out to bring me up to March. Not completely current but at least up to the current month. For a while. Not sure how fast I can make the March and April payments. May will be the month I am most likely to really pull ahead. Three paychecks in May. Though I am trying to bring things at least fully current before then.

Daughters art

The ex texted me earlier today to tell me daughter has an art project which will be displayed at the state fair this year. Only two kids in her age group have that honor! I am seriously proud! I haven't seen this project yet, so looking forward to it! This shows just how much talent she has. Think it should give her more confidence, which is a really good thing. 

Real happy for the iPad now. There was a power surge this morning which fried the power supply in the PC. Can't replace that for a while and have to replace that before I'll know if anything else is damaged. 

One of the puppies the older female attacked has loose teeth or a cracked jaw. Luckily, he can still chew and swallow. I'm feeding him separate from the other dogs because they get too um, emphatic. Of course, soft food. I feel bad for him but can't afford a veterinarian. If I could the dogs would all be fixed and I would have new teeth. 

Looked outside today and saw the oldest female eating. One of her dead puppies. That was rather disturbing to see. 

I have a sinus infection. Been sneezing, coughing and had a scratchy throat all day. 

Tried to plow the garden this evening but forgot I took the mount for the plow off the tiller. Have to find that. Think it's in the workshop. The workshop is a fairly scary place right now. (Yes, my own fault. Shut up.) I also need to find the pH meter or at least the pH test strips. Also, I believe, in the workshop. As it is, the soil is much more loose than ever. Even after being watered, it remains loose. In previous years it would turn rather hard as soon as it was watered. 

Uncharacteristic violence

I had to take part in what is uncharacteristic violence for me tonight.

The oldest female dog has been showing a lot of aggression to the younger female, who is her own puppy. She has pinned the younger one down on several occasions. Several times I have stopped her and even turned her upside down in a submissive position and held her there. That works for a while, like a week or two. It has also made her less violent on subsequent occasions. Until today.

Last night, she had puppies. This evening, I went out and found all but two are dead. No sign of injury or insects to any of them. My suspicion is that the puppies were deformed, the product of the mother and her own male puppy. Probably a deformation of the lungs or digestive system.

However, she has now attacked two of the younger female's puppies tonight, trying to actually take their throats out. The attacks were a couple of hours apart. The first time, I held her down and smacker her really hard on the nose. That attack took place inside the solarium. 

The second attack had no chance of being provoked by the puppy. First, the puppy is a coward and runs from any loud noise. However, the biggest thing was that she was attacking the puppy while the puppy was underneath the stairs! 

In both of these cases, the puppies were scared out of their wits for a long time afterward. They were each also bleeding rather profusely from their mouths. I could not touch them for a long time after the attacks. 

After I interrupted the second attack, I tore into the oldest female. I kicked her in the mouth. Not hard enough to do major damage but she won't be trying to take out one of the puppies throats again tonight. 

This is the same dog who the neighbor accused of killing her Chihuahua. I doubted that account but am seriously rethinking it. Every one of my other dogs are afraid of her. 

These attacks cannot have anything to do with hunger. None of these dogs are thin. It may have to do with jealousy. It is possible she killed her own puppies on purpose. Though, as I said, there was no sign of an attack. She could have laid on top of them, though. 

No matter. If she attacks any of the other dogs again, I'm going to have to take her to the shelter. 

More outdoors

Daughter and I spent a bit of time outside again today. Went to Tingley Beach. She went fishing. I couldn't because my license is expired. Didn't want to take a chance of getting a fine. We had a picnic there, which she packed and did a good job! 

We found that they have opened up the section by the river which they have been renovating. It's pretty nice right now. However, poor execution once again. Why am I not surprised? They build a boardwalk (artificial wood). That's nice. However, the boardwalk ends about 20 ft from the water. Then they planted trees or bushes between the boardwalk and the river. I've already seen the result of that at another boardwalk they built the same way not far away. They allow the native weeds and grass to grow between the boardwalk and the river, almost completely blocking the view. So you wind up with a boardwalk with a view of a stand of weeds. 

Transplanted the blueberries this morning into some larger containers. Mixed compost from the bin and potting soil, watered with water mixed with acid and ammonia. This afternoon, the bushes look healthier than when we brought them home. 

Soaked the filters in acid water today. They had a huge amount of mineral deposits built up on and inside them. The acid cleared them out nicely. They look like new! I just have to replace one hose washer but that's because of wear, not the acid. Now I just have to attach the fertilizer injector and run acid through the lines to clear the drip emitters and sprinklers. I do need to do a little research first. The acid I used for that purpose was hydrochloric instead of sulfuric acid. Not sure what effect that may have on the garden. If it would have a negative effect, just have to go with a stroner sulfuric acid solution.

Botanical Garden

Daughter asked to go to the Botanical Garden today. So, that's what we did this afternoon and spent the whole afternoon there. Not aerobic exercise but much better than being sedentary! 

Plus, I like the fact that she is balanced and interested in things enough to want to go to the Botanical Garden without being forced.

We picked up a couple of good but inexpensive blueberry bushes today. I also got a cheap tap and die set from Harbor Freight to attach the fertilizer injector to the irrigation system. 

I've bought several blueberry bushes in the past. However, they all died. I now know the mistake I made was including native soil at all in planting them. The first two I bought years ago from a local nursery. They told me blueberry bushes die frequently here but they didn't understand why. This was from the owner of the place which has been here for decades. I tried the acidifier they sold me. Plants still died. I learned more over years and got two more bushes two years ago, tried separating them from the main garden with bottomless buckets. No good. This time, I'm keeping them in containers and using acidified water. I'll mix compost and potting soil, use sulfuric acid to balance the pH, and only after that place these in larger containers than they are currently in. They already have lots of flowers on them. I know the sulfuric acid is a safe practice for them because that's what commercial blueberry growers use. If these two bushes produce a combined 1-1 1/2 lbs of blueberries, they will pay for themselves, at the cost of blueberries now. Once they're large enough, I'll try multiplying them from cuttings. Hopefully this year but after harvest.

So, my next door neighbors are having a baby shower. A baby shower which started before 6 PM and is still getting louder and more drunken at nearly 1 AM. I sense another non-English speaking Fetal Alcohol Syndrome child on it's way into the world with the full support of a large family propagating those values. 

Pump locked

The well pump locked last evening. Not sure what happened. It was working earlier in the day and then I heard it pressurize while I was cross-tilling the garden in the evening. Went to turn it on and nothing happened. Checked to be sure power was getting as far as the pump. Motor fan would turn from outside. I'll see if I can turn the impeller from outside this morning. If not, found the receipt and I did buy the two year replacement plan. So I can take it back and exchange it this weekend. It'll take a few minutes this morning to unhook it and drain it. Just as well. I emailed the service department a few days ago about the pressure gauge and haven't heard back. Can't find a replacement with the same thread size. Plus pumps have a limited lifespan. The newer, the better. 

Looks like I miscalculated. It will be April 18th before I'm current on the mortgage. Not because of any excessive spending on my part. Mostly because the utility bills have been high. Between working at home and damage to the solarium making it much less effective, the bills went up. And I forgot to factor in one other bill in my budget. Sucks but it will still be current at least a month faster than the payment plan offered by the bank, without paying more than $1000 extra beyond interest and late fees as they proposed. Their plan would have left me with little to live on and resulted in that $1000 extra basically disappearing. No, thank you. 

The only extraneous expenditures I have laid out recently have been for the car, tiller tines and car parts. Car and parts a necessity. Tiller tines an investment which will help over time. 

I admit that at this time I am spending more money on vitamin supplements than I ever have. However, all the supplements I am taking are completely necessary. I still seek out the least expensive brands, not going to GNC or any crap like that. Yuppy vitamins has to be one of the most atrocious things I have ever heard of. 

Nearly all of the medical care has been covered by insurance. What hasn't been covered has been paid for mostly through the medical spending account funded by my employer. I think I've paid like $16 out of pocket for one prescription, which was a one time thing. Though I do need to call the insurance company and nag them about one bill again. It should be covered under preventive care and they keep listing it as standard. 

I am so looking forward to getting things back on track and being able to invest some money and time into getting things where I want them to be. Only a few weeks until I am out of this tunnel again. This summer I can complete major stages of several major projects with relatively little money and effort remaining. I don't mind the effort so much when it's actually moving forward. Sucks when you're spending all your time and energy to move backward or just spinning your wheels. 

Learned my lesson. No more loans or credit cards (unless they have collateral accounts) ever again. I will open a secured credit card later this year, just for security and to rebuild my credit.. again. 

Happy none of my past accounts were high enough that anyone bothered to sue me. If they were going to, they would have by now. Sorry to have defaulted on a couple of things. It was absolutely never my intent. Got a few threatening phone calls but nothing followed. Those finally stopped. Except Wells Fargo. In their case, the closer I get to bringing the mortgage current, the more threatening they become. Because they see their chance to foreclose slipping away and I have been bringing things current without them making a huge extra profit which shows no benefit to me. I tried everything I could which was reasonable but they refuse to be reasonable. So, I'll continue doing things in a reasonable manner. If they filed for foreclosure today, the mortgage would be current before it could make it to court. Their chance is basically gone. So now they are raging.

Okay, time to go feed the furry monsters.

Iron supplements

Took off work early today. Made my 70 case base at about the same time the east coast was fading out. Good timing because I was hoping to accomplish both. 

Reason for taking off was because of a raging headache since I woke up. Motrin and Naprosyn didn't help at all. Then I realized why. I ran out of iron supplements a few days ago. I figured I could go for a week without it. Wrong!!

Right after getting off work, went to Walmart and bought enough iron to last about 6 months. Took some as soon as I got home.

From the symptoms I have when my iron is dropping, I suspect I may have had this problem a lot in my 20's. Body and joint aches, fatigue, poor memory, foggy thinking, headache that medication doesn't touch. Considering my poor diet through most of my 20's, it would fit. 

Because the testing for work is due to be finished next Tue, I figured I was one of the last people finishing. Turns out, I was one of the first 4 on my supervisor's team. 

My paycheck was close to what I had hoped it would be. Debated the issue of whether to order compost, then decided it's much better to wait. Going to pay extra on the mortgage. I did order new tines for the tiller. 

I had hoped to do the CV axle after work today but too much chance I wouldn't finish before dark or before having to pick daughter up in the morning. So, get that done early next week. 

Right now, going to go till some more. If I run out of energy or headache gets worse, can always just stop that. Since the well is working, been soaking the soil deeply to soften it up and bring it back to life for the year.  

Iterators redux

Okay, went through my testing the second time. Got 100 on all three this time. Glad those are over!

I need a beer.

92!

Finally hit 92 cases today! Okay, I cheated. Worked an extra hour this morning. Not complaining. Glad the extra hours are being offered again. It was a bit dry there for a while.

I've come to doubt that I will be able to average 90 cases per day in 8 hours alone. Not because of me but because of all the antics from callers. Long calls, unprepared callers, people who want to argue.. Note: I don't argue. If their case does not approve, I read the criteria for the study to them. They may complain but cannot argue with that. 

Kind of a strange day. I had lots of polite (more than usual) callers from the northeast and several rude callers from the southern states. What the heck was that?!

Just taking a bit of a break. Then go back and do my training tests over again. Not so happy about that. Not complaining too much, though. Means 2 1/2 extra hours on my check. 

With that, I'll come to an extra 6 1/2 hours picked up this week. Though it adds up to more than that because of my case counts. So, will make at least an extra $200 this week. Try to pick up extra hours next week, also.   

Vehicle hoarder

I still haven't sold the Camaro.. or made an attempt to do so. I find it kind of sad the let go of a decent vehicle, even if it needs a new engine. Think because I've had such bad luck with vehicles that it causes me apprehension.

However, next week I'm going to try to sell it and use the money for some other things which are needed. 

Been hoarding some other things, too and need to get over it. Some building supplies, especially which have not yet been put to use. It causes clutter and problems while making the house look ugly. I'm not at all against having a few things sitting around in an organized manner for building and repairs but right now it's too much and not organized well. 

Need to finish several main projects soon.

Not impressed

Took my iterator tests for work. Failed all three of them. 

Have to say I am not impressed. Not to be arrogant but this has no indication of being valid testing or education. I have an IQ of 137. Completed every single adult education program I have finished in the top 3 of any class I ever took. Been known to read books on sociology, macroeconomics, chemistry, history and physics for relaxation. To fail three open book tests does not make any sense. 

If employees are failing these tests because they cannot find the right information, this is not an indication that the employees are failing. This is an indication of really bad organization of information. 

I've been told you have to know where to find things on the company website. Really? It's on the shoulders of 1600 employees to memorize a website which changes, rather than on 1 or 2 people to organize that site in a logical manner? With a risk of tests being approved or disapproved in error, increased turnover and possible financial penalties on the line, who the hell is coming up with these ideas?! Not to mention testing employees on information and writing them up or just causing them excessive stress with no real apparent goal except to make them fail? This is in severe question.

I have come to the conclusion that if I leave this company, it is most likely to be over these tests. And I know I would not be the first. 

Almost there

Almost current on the mortgage. Just checked the account and they have "next payment due" as Feb 1st. After this weekend, That payment will be made. That will bring the "next payment due" up to March 1st. How much extra I pay and how fast I bring the rest current depends mostly on my paycheck. However, I earned extra for the check coming this Friday and this week been picking up extra hours and cases for my next check. If my calculations stand correct, I will be completely current on April 4th. That doesn't lave me completely clear just yet. Can't make the official April payment until April 18th. Since I've been paying a half payment one check and 1 1/2 payments on alternating checks, I won't be fully current until at least May 2nd. Unless I make enough extra money to make it sooner. 

Okay, going to pick up some extra time right now by doing my required training. Then pick up an extra hour tomorrow morning. 

Made 87 cases for work today. May have missed logging a couple of cases which I didn't really do anything in but got forwarded to me in a status which required nothing from me. The system logs the case, any way. (I do not open cases on purpose which I don't process. Unless it's a web case which turns out to have a fax attached which isn't noted. In that case, because it's a fax case instead of a web case, I close it. I'm fine if they don't count it and would prefer that. There are also times I wind up with a web case open and then get stuck on the phone. Keeping the case open is just holding the case up. So after a long time stuck on the phone, I'll close the web case for someone else to work it. These are rare occurrences.)

Busy week

Didn't get the car fixed this evening. Still a bit cool to be crawling on the ground.

So, I did till the last major section of the south garden that needed it. Still need to cross-till but that shouldn't take long. 

Time for training tests for work again. Took one of the three tonight. Failed. Passing means missing one question. I missed two. Have to take it again tomorrow.

Picking up another extra hour of work in the morning. Made it up to 86 cases today. Was doing really well early in the day, averaging 13 cases per hour. That's an average of under  minutes per case. Then got a long string of really slow cases. Then things dropped off. Still hoping to hit at least 90 tomorrow. 

My typing speed isn't fantastic but does continue to improve. More accurate, which counts for a lot. 

So, trying to balance all the stuff I need to get done. Installing the CV axle may have to wait until next week. The car will make it until then. It would make it longer than that but I'm trying to avoid excess wear and tear. Problem with doing that work is that once I start, the car won't be going any place until it's finished. I can work on other things a shorter period of time and/or leave something partially finished for a while. The testing for work has to be finished before next Tue night. 

The emotions I mentioned on the climb the other day continue to do so. Down side to that is my temper climbs with the other emotions. Emotions are constantly present, even when tilling the garden. Feels really strange. I am reverting to how I was in my 20's, like there are two parts of me. The emotional side and the intellectual side. It's a duality where the emotional side reacts while the intellectual side observes. I am intensely aware of both sides at the same time. 

Along with the emotions, now physical sensations are becoming more intense. 

All of it signals some healing of my nervous system. 

Hopefully this all means that it will lead to more energy and drive to get some things accomplished. Right now, adjusting to it can be exhausting. No complaints. Helps me sleep better sometimes. 

Maybe tomorrow

Went and picked up the CV axle during lunch to save time and get the work done this evening. Then the wind picked up, blowing over 20 mph with gusts over 30. And temperature dropping, of course.

Not in any mood to get under the car and get sand blasted. 

Wind is supposed to be calmer tomorrow but temperature much cooler. Guess I'll layer up to get it done. 

Picking up an extra hour of work tomorrow morning. 

I dubbed today "Schizoid Tendency Day" for work. I would ask questions and the callers answered.. everything except the question which was asked. Kind of reminded me of the dog in "Up". What is the indication for this test? "SQUIRREL!!!"

Oh, well. In the end, I was able to mostly laugh at it. Made about 80 cases today. 

Inflammation

I'm still paying for that hamburger the other day. Did not have such an immediate and acute gastric reaction but have had insidious inflammation ever since. Gastric symptoms escalated, not too badly. However, had joint aches all weekend as I have not had for a very long time. 

This morning was the most dramatic demonstration. Woke up with one finger locking, like the first knuckle joint was displaced. I could bend it but when I straightened it out, it displaced again and again. Not very painful but could cause long term damage to the cartilage. It's okay since taking a large dose of Motrin. If it wasn't, would have to call off sick from work until it resolved to avoid that long term damage mentioned. 

So, once in a while I do something stupid. That hamburger was definitely stupid. 

Meteor?

Daughter and I went for a walk around two of the open spaces near the house today. Not too much to see yet. Ground are tilled but not plowed yet. Still too cold fr most planting but that will change this next week or two. Still a nice walk.

While at one of the open spaces, we found a fairly odd rock. I'm suspecting it is meteoric in nature. It has holes like volcanic rock but is much smoother and very heavy. My first guess is that the main component is iron. The entire description would fit with being part of a meteor. We brought it home. I'm going to clean it up, take pictures and send them to UNM Geology Department, see what they think. If they agree, I'll tell them where we got it from so they can investigate further. There were several other rocks of decent size which were very similar. If our suspicions prove correct, I hope to someday see a plaque in the natural history museum with our names on it. It would also be cool to have a piece of a meteor sitting in the living room.

There is also an odd thing about the immediate area. The reason my daughter loves that spot so much is that there are thousands of shells along the walkways. Fresh water mollusk shells. While there are fresh water mollusks in lots of places along the river and aqueducts, they are not in such great concentration. Could be due to the agricultural activity in the area but one thing remains true. To build shells, mollusks need calcium which is not in rich supply in this area.

Ordered the part for the car today. Should be in tomorrow. Hoping I can install it in just one evening. Try and get it done tomorrow. Much warmer tomorrow, then drops about 10 degrees. I don't mind garden work when it's cool but it feels a lot colder when you're lying on the ground.

After dropping daughter off, tilled more of the main south garden. Only a little left to go for both north and south main gardens. Even if the ground is hard, it gets darker every year when moist. When walking around the open spaces today, I noted the clay soil is still a challenge for even plots which have been farmed for over 100 years. My soil actually looks better than their soil does. So I must be doing something right.

Some seedlings have been in a window, so they shouldn't need to be hardened off. Others I need to start hardening off this week so I can get them in the ground in a week or two. 

Dragged the wood chipper into the front yard and rand the larger sunflower stalks through it today. Now I just have to burn the weeds and old remaining sunflower stumps after I get irrigation running to the front yard. Can't plant until then or it will be mostly a weed patch.  

St Patrick's Day weekend

Gave my daughter a cute oversized leprechaun hat for St Patrick's Day weekend. She almost instantly started humming and dancing an Irish jig and doing an awesome job! She's been doing it on and off all day long. She should sleep well tonight. She couldn't recall seeing Irish dancing any place before. Showed her some clips from Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. She was impressed.

Got the well up and running today. Only problem is that the gauge has a small leak. Otherwise, it pressurizes and works fine. The gauge is only a visual gauge and doesn't affect function. I may remove the gauge and replace it with a bolt until I can get a new one. The automatic pressure shut off is separate. I did have to pull the pipes and clear the foot valve. It was clogged with sand. Replaced one pipe with a shorter one to suspend the valve from the bottom. I don't remember why but I forgot I had improvised a foot valve by using a check valve and short length of PVC with holes drilled in it and covered with nylon netting. I replaced the netting when I cleared the valve. Long as the valve stays suspended this arrangement should last for several years. Pressure is good. It may actually be better than before because the connections are better and will stay more secure. Cap in place means foot valve should remain clear.

So, I should be able to finish tilling and then set up irrigation this week. Big relief to have that done. It keeps the water bill down and avoids the addition of extra sodium to the soil from using municipal water.

We didn't get to complete our plans today. Try tomorrow. Weather didn't cooperate today. 

Made doughnuts tonight. Been having a craving. So I made glazed gluten free chocolate sour cream doughnut holes. They came out good! Can't tell they're gluten free at all. 

Had a good surprise. Looked up the CV axle again today. Either I looked at it wrong the first time or the price dropped by nearly $20. Only a $5 core charge. So I can get that done this week, long as weather cooperates. 

Stoicism?

Some people refer to stoic behavior being common here. The problem with that is that they confuse stoicism with apathy.

There is a huge difference between the two. Stoicism does not in any way denote lack of emotion, nor does it denote seething anger. It denotes strong emotions being present but an apprehension about showing those emotions openly. A stoic person may have a high education level and does not shy away from work.

Apathy just means you don't care about anything. Which is a reflection on work ethic. An apathetic person resents anything resembling work or personal responsibility. Apathy is everywhere but in most places is not held as a societal standard. 

A stoic person is generally driven by logic and duty.

An apathetic person is generally driven by personal want (not need).

Most of the time, it is easy to tell the difference between the two in a person in under 30 seconds. Present one problem to them. The stoic person tries to find a solution they can implement before seeking help. They are more likely to become frustrated at not being able to solve a problem. The apathetic person either looks for someone else or just says they can do nothing and expects the issue (or you) to disappear. They are more likely to be frustrated at being given the problem in the first place.

I am neither of the above. I have had stoic periods in my life but cannot recall periods of apathy. While I may deny and even resent vulnerability (and consider it a dirty word), I do not believe in hiding or denying my emotions in general. At no time do I believe in apathy as a solution to anything. No problem is solved in the long term in the presence of apathy. Ever.

This leads to something going on right now. In the last few years, NM has been the only state to see the population decrease. (Guess I should say the legal population.) Education has been a problem here for a long time. The problem now is that it is largely educated people moving out. They get an education and move away because there are so few jobs for educated people. 

This leaves behind uneducated people. Those people have children. It is no secret that educated parents are more likely to raise educated children because education is held and taught as a value in the home. The concentration of uneducated and illiterate households rises as the educated population decreases. 

Companies that offer higher paying jobs most often seek educated people. When considering moving into a new area, one thing they look at is education level. Is there a way to fill the jobs being offered? 

Education is also a reflection of work ethic on a community level. Communities with low education levels generally have many other signs of a poor work ethic. A person who makes no effort in school is most likely to make no effort on the job. The only companies willing to create even low paying jobs in a community with a poor work ethic generally view employees as being dispensable. 

This is where NM has been for many years. However, the situation is intensifying. It will not change until it changes at the societal level. In short, it will require NM hitting complete rock bottom before anything different is seen.

Emotional regain

I've been feeling kind of strange this week. Thought just allergies. Then I realized my emotions are coming back after a long hiatus.

May not seem like it at times but what the world has seen for a number of years has been me, subdued. In some ways, that has been true since at least 18 years. Part biological but in other ways, I just have not felt free to really allow my emotions free reign. 

Intellectually, I know different influences bringing this about are biological, financial and because my current job makes me feel a bit less on constant guard than for some time. Especially since coming to NM. 

Not sure what to expect on this. I know I want to avoid making majorly stupid decisions because of emotions which do more harm than anything. Right now, it's like having blinders ripped off. Not really bad but a little uncomfortable. One effect is that I've been having a major undeniable urge to go to karaoke. Good way to release emotional tension.

Much of my life I have been described as emotionally intense. Not always a good thing. No shortage of times I have "medicated" myself to buffer my emotions, if not try to shut them down completely. One of the biggest reasons I tend to be so logical and rational is that I started very young to try and offset my emotions with reason. Only helped so much. Instead my emotions have often fueled my intellect. Not so bad when they remain coupled. Not so great when one overshadows the other too much. Medication? Yeah, I decided to have a few beers tonight. If I have the money (which I should) I plan to go to karaoke next week sometime, like Thur or Fri night.

The maintenance I did on the car had surprisingly positive effects. It drove well before but now it has some serious get up and go! It was a nice finding when I was pulling out of the parking lot of the grocery store and stepped on the gas. It had so much acceleration it pushed me back in my seat! I am seeing much more clearly why this car has a following of fans. I can imagine what the 6 cylinder must have done. I still like the 4 cylinder because it has better gas mileage. After I get the rest of it fixed up going to have to take daughter on a road trip. Don't want to do that with the CV axle in current condition and seat belt not working properly. Besides, be nicer in a week or two, when things turn more green.

10 minutes

So, I hear the invisible fence beeping. Dogs managed to tear a hole in the wire again. I need to bury it and order collars for the puppies. Collars are large and pups have been to small for them. They're growing fast, though and also invading the garden. Have to fix it during lunch today.

I got out during lunch yesterday and sprayed weed killer on all the visible weeds. I try to do something during lunch to walk and stretch my legs.

Going to try and reconfigure the trellis fence to something more decorative and permanent this year. 

Odd thing with this job. I've noted using my voice so much is causing it to drop lower. Like my voice isn't deep enough. Starting to sound like Barry White. Once again, strange. Most men's voices grow higher as they get older. (Or at least have less range.) 

Have to go get daughter a new swimsuit this weekend, while there's still a decent stock in the stores. I hate how you have to buy clothes basically a full season ahead. It's stupid. Like clothes don;t wear out or get damaged, etc. 

Done

Finally finished changing the transmission fluid. Really glad I did! It was the dirtiest transmission fluid I've ever seen. Lots of tiny particles floating in it. Over time, they act like sandpaper or sandblasting, wearing parts down. They can also clog small ports and valves in the transmission which have to reach certain pressures to operate properly. 

Of course, it wasn't all that simple. The tool I got yesterday would not fit in the area I needed to reach. So I wound up dropping the cross member, after all. I used a second jack to support the transmission before doing so. 

Got everything taken apart, cleaned and put back together. Didn't have enough transmission fluid. Went to Auto Zone for that and the PCV valve. The store near me showed in their computer they had the valve in stock. However, on checking the shelf, not only was the part not there but the space for it didn't exist! They called another store nearby and that store had it in stock. Rode over there and got the items. They were nice and had the valve sitting by the register when I got there. 

PCV valve was a good idea. Immediately saw a difference. Had to adjust the idle speed again but it stayed stable this time. That should further improve gas mileage. Looked it up and the original rating for this car was 24 mpg city and 33 mpg highway.

Confirmed the issue with the CV axle. The axle is fine but the boot is torn apart. Best choice is to replace the whole thing. Dirt has gotten into the bearings and it would require pulling the axle and taking it apart to replace the boot. 

Never got to the seat belt. Keep trying. It was more important to get the engine and transmission done. Not much good to have a working seat belt in a car that won't go any place.

Work went a bit better today. Late in the day, we were allowed to work web cases to a limited degree. So my case count went back up to 77 today. Not quite 90 but better than 65. 

Staying gluten free

Decision made. Staying gluten free. I have an odd warmth in the area of my appendix. Not pain. However, last night I also felt a crawling feeling in the same area. Besides, when I changed to gluten free I lost over 20 lbs in one month while eating. It was all inflammation. Numerous vague health complaints faded and have been absent for years now since making that change. Not worth going back and risking worse damage. 

I'm really happy with the invisible dog fence. Since installing it, had no escapes and no garden damage. Still deciding on final layout for it before burying the cables. 

Have to get out this morning and water the flowers daughter planted this weekend. 

Haven't finished tilling yet, so I haven't set the irrigation system in place for the year. Not much good until the well pump is running, any way. Have to check the foot valve again and pull the pipes if not working. If I recall right, I think the price on it has actually decreased. Only $13 for a new one. Or maybe I'm thinking in terms of my finances previously and $13 just seemed like a lot more money before. But if I can pull the old valve, clean it out and get it to work, still a better choice. In any case, my best bet is probably to get a 6 ft pipe, so the foot valve is suspended from the bottom of the well by a couple of feet. That keeps sand and clay out of it. The new cap will keep organic material out of it. I did try putting a cap in place once before but it split when I drilled it. The new cap is larger and heavier, plus I used a different bit for drilling, so it didn't split and pipe fits snugly. 

I have to replace a couple of garden hoses this year. Dog damage. They chewed up two of the hoses. I actually cannot figure out why they did not chew up the third one. 

Once I get the well pump running, I have to soak the old drip lines in acid solution for a day or so to clear mineral deposits. Had a lot of clogged emitters by the end of last year.  

Not finished

Didn't get the car finished. Couple of bolts are behind a cross member and couldn't reach the with the tools I had. So, had to go get a different tool. By the time I got back, it was nearly dark. So the car is up on a jack with a pan under it. 

If this tool won't do it, I'll have to drop the cross member. Which I would have already done but Rather apprehensive about it. Not sure how much this cross member is holding up the transmission. One of the down sides to having a fairly rare car. There was never a valid aftermarket repair manual produced for it. If I have to drop that cross member, I'll place another jack under the transmission as best I can. 

I did give myself a gluten challenge today. Decided if I'm going to do it, it was going to be something I really miss eating. So I went to get a Whopper from Burger King for lunch. So far, no major symptoms. I have had a little twinge but that could be many things, including the mayonnaise. Think I'll give it another try with something else, like a doughnut. No matter what, that was the best hamburger I have ever had in my life!

7 AM

Well, got up at 7 this morning. Not getting much done. Cold this morning because of another front which came through. Glad the winds didn't pick up so much here. My immediate area got spared. Some spots had 65 mph winds.

While not physically working on something, my mind is usually working. 

Been considering something with the car. The idle speed doesn't stay stable. Timing is good, no backfires and you can hear it humming quietly. Just the engine speed stays at one speed, then decreases under certain conditions. Seems like a vacuum problem. I think it may be the PCV valve. That may explain the problem, if it's clogged. Probably stuck shut. Easy and cheap fix. New one costs $3 and takes a couple minutes to replace. Have to do that tonight, when I do the transmission filter. I do know the oil in the car was really dirty when I bought the car, which increases the chances of the PCV valve being bad. 

Happy to say the gasket which came with the new transmission filter does not require sealant. That decreases chances of leaks when it's replaced. Also makes the job cleaner and faster. 

Transplanted some pepper seedlings into peat pots last night. Not focusing on large numbers of pepper plants this year. Success with peppers was pretty low last year. I did order more Scorpion pepper seeds to try those again. They completely failed last year. Once again, possibly because of sodium. Going to try keeping some in potting soil and some in the garden and compare. Mostly planning those as a cash crop. But those seeds haven't come in yet. Definitely a warm weather crop.

Haven't had any major gastric problems for a couple of weeks now. Really happy about that. Haven't managed to transition to electronic cigarette yet, so it's time to try something else. Going to try a gluten challenge (small scale), just to confirm that is an issue and not just ulcerative colitis. Symptoms between the two are very similar and you can have both. Celiac is mostly an upper intestinal issue and (in mine and most cases) ulcerative colitis is a lower intestinal issue. If that extends to the upper intestines, which mine did not, it carries a much higher risk of colon cancer. Long as it remains in the lower intestine, there is no increased risk. However, if not controlled it does pose risk of infection, scar tissue overgrowth, gastric hemorrhage and tissue necrosis, all potentially lethal. Candidiasis is a definite and I have maintained a regimen which keeps that at a low level. It would be nice if I could go back to eating hamburgers and doughnuts, though. Only one way to find out. 

No luck

Can't get the well pump going. Pump is okay and pressurizing if I feed water from the hose into it. Seems like maybe the foot valve is clogged or stuck open. Going to have to see what I can do about it. 

If the pipe is sitting in too much sediment it means I'll have to get a shorter length of pipe. 

Work was better for manners today but worse for lucidity. Even more long calls than yesterday. Then they came up with a rule that nobody could work web case until all the urgent fax cases were completed. I tried but as fast as they cleared, new ones were added. Here is how fax cases work much of the time: A doctor' office calls in. The clinical information does not provide information which allows approval. So the doctor's office faxes in 20 pages of documentation, 18 pages useless and 2 pages with the exact same information which they gave on the telephone. If you can read the doctor's writing. However, they insist the case is urgent (because the test is scheduled for tomorrow for a chronic problem the member has had for years). So, every single page has to be reviewed. 

So, I only had 63 cases today. I am not happy. I did have to open several other cases, so they should also add to my case count. Still, this is not cool. If they make that rule again, I am going to respond with stating I will not work fax cases unless I am being paid hourly during that time. Not an unreasonable request. The night shift works nearly all fax cases, gets paid hourly and has a much lower case count. 

Picked up the filter and fluid for the transmission. Install it tomorrow. Too windy this evening and the temperature dropped. Getting under the car will give me the chance to confirm the CV axle situation and check everything else over. 

More visible

Wells Fargo finally actually applied some of the payments I had made. They hold payments for a long time before applying them to the mortgage account. With the payments applied, things look more like they should. It shows the "next payment due" as Feb 1st. So, one month behind. Only a few weeks ago, it was showing next payment due as Oct. Of course, in another day or two, they will make the April payment due, so it will appear as though I'm further behind than I am. However, that doesn't change my timeline and I will have the account current in 4-6 weeks. Then I'm going to work on bringing it ahead. Again.

I am seriously sick of this coming up as an issue. I'm a responsible person and have always worked hard to keep things in place. 

I'm laying low on the extra work hours this week. Trying to get other things accomplished. I may go ahead and get the iterator tests done one evening this week. That will earn a couple extra hours pay. And get them done, so they're no longer a stressor. Mainly, all in all, I have a feeling this whole week people will be using the time change as an excuse for bad behavior. They don't need an excuse when it's really their basic nature. 

Pipes in place

Though I made a useless trip to Home Depot, I got the main pipes for the well in place. Not an easy job doing it on my own. Going to have to raise the pump a few inches because I forgot I had to cut off part of the PVC pipe. If the pipe clogs up, I'll have to see if I can find a 6-8 ft pipe. 

One of the worst parts was cleaning the pipes. The pipes have been on the ground next to the house and the dogs have been crapping on them. (Dogs crap on anything that will suspend their poop off the ground, so it stinks longer. Otherwise the microbes in the ground start breaking it down immediately.) Had to wash the pipes with a mixture of water, soap, vinegar and bleach. 

I may be able to get the rest of the work done before work or during lunch tomorrow. Got some of the work done during lunch today. 

The setup is finally actually decent, with a cap in place, which I had to create from a PVC cap which is strong enough to support the pipes when they're full of water. Which can be quite heavy. 

Once the pump is up and running, I can attach it to the sprinkler and irrigate heavily. Get the irrigation system up and running in a week or two. 

Going to have to take some measurements and build a small pump house sometime this year. 

Like expected, work kinda sucked today. Just because so many callers had their heads up their.. in the clouds. Amazing how one hour can affect so many people for so long. I can understand it to a point for one day but 2,3,4.. I honestly think it has nothing to do with the time change but is just another excuse for bad manners.

So, it's likely I won't get the car worked on until at least Wed. Hoping to get the major work done in one day but not really counting on it.  

Five minutes

Only have about 5 minutes to write. Then have to log on the work computer.

Set the alarm early this morning. Yeah, that didn't happen. Awake too late last night. Besides, the thermostat timer is not atomic and I forgot to change the time on it. Do that today. 

Going to run the sprinkler during lunch and do some more tilling this evening. 

Think I'll do some work on the car tomorrow evening.

Time change

Daughter and I both slept pretty late this morning. Other than that, we didn't have any real effects from the time change. Yet. I'm holding off any more comments until tomorrow evening, after I see how I sleep and how well work goes tomorrow. I'm expecting a lot of whiny people on the phones tomorrow. 

I hope daughter is okay. It sucks that they have mandatory testing starting the day after the time change. Not the best timing if you ask me.

I already started seeing benefits from the time change this evening. For months, when I drop daughter off at her mother's, it's been dark before I get home. (In winter, it gets dark before we even leave home.) Today, I dropped her off, went to Home Depot and Walmart and still made it home just before dark. 

We took a walk this afternoon and spread sunflower seeds along the sides of the aqueduct. We're going to spread more seeds in other spots near the house, also. Considering that sunflowers are attractive to bees and birds, they seem like a beneficial thing to scatter in this area. Besides, they don't need lots of rain and they're very salt tolerant. I think it would be a great heritage to leave behind to increase the bee population and rows and fields of flowers. 

So, my guts are back to normal. So, this week I am going to try transitioning to the e-cigarette and see how I do. In my reading, it became apparent that researchers do not understand if nicotine is the effective deterrent/treatment for ulcerative colitis or something else in cigarettes. Some research proves cigarettes are more effective than other nicotine delivery systems. So, I had to get my symptoms under control before making this attempt. That way I will know better if I am having an actual increase in symptoms. 

After that, I think I may give myself a small gluten challenge. Just to make absolutely sure I actually have Celiac disease and my symptoms are not all caused by the ulcerative colitis. It would be awesome if I could go back to eating wheat products. Though my eating habits have changed quite a bit in the last few years and would include a lot less wheat than it used to. 

Really happy to say the Mazda is working well and burning about 1/4 of the gas of the truck. I have not been able to calculate mileage yet but I'm sure the car gets close to 30 mpg. Took it on the highway a ways this weekend and it had no problem. 

Picked up the last parts I needed to convert the whole well pump system to galvanized steel. Cost a little more than I had hoped but a union connector was necessary. That was most expensive. Galvanized pipes will last for decades, where the PVC has to be repaired at least yearly, sometimes more often. That places the pump at risk of running dry and being damaged. It should stand up to the dogs much better once it's connected. The one down side is that it will require a tap and die set to install the fertilizer injector. That can wait a couple of weeks. 

Picked up two more bags of gypsum and a new garden sprayer. Old sprayer was two years old and worn out. I would prefer one made to handle harsh chemicals but chose not to spend the money at this time. This model did okay last couple of years until the trigger started sticking. Next up is some intense acid treatment followed by some very strong ammonia. Then forming and planting. 
 

Snow?

Took daughter to the flea market today. The wind started blowing, temperature dropped. Then snow flurries started falling. They didn't last long but it got cool enough that we left rather quickly.

We picked up a brand new video game system that has 88 very old games on it. Not a bad deal for $20! Not exactly an Xbox but she likes several of the games. It has a few old favorites of mine from long ago. Super Mario, Joust and some others. It works rather well except for the gun which came with it for a couple of games. Bummer. I was looking forward to Hogan's Alley.

Daughter is enjoying it quite a bit, even if the games are old ones. We both laugh at some of the games and how bad they are. Interesting showing her that these are how computer games and programs developed over time. It does include things like Galaga and Donkey Kong. She decided her favorite is Tennis. Though she likes playing doubles, where her character can appear to swat mine on the butt while she giggles until her face is bright red.

Pretty late as I add to this. Not going to be worth much in the morning. Hopefully by afternoon.

I was happy to find that Home Depot sells gypsum in the garden section. Good price, at less than $4 for a 40 lb bag. Means I don't have to take time off or go out of my way to get gypsum. I've heard of people having to use tons of it to rectify salt problems. I've already used several hundred pounds. I think a few hundred more over time will do the job, when combined with other additives past, present and future. That doesn't mean I won't have to add more yearly. Several of my preferred crops (like tomatoes and pumpkins) have a high calcium uptake and requirement. Though I saw very little blossom end rot last year, once the gypsum I had added dissolved and worked it's way into the soil. The stuff from Home Depot is mined natural gypsum in coarse powder form and should show benefits much faster, with less work than the forms I previously used. 

 

Up early

Getting easier to wake up early now that it's getting warmer. I'm still a Texan by nature. Besides, when your normal body temperature is 2 degrees lower than average..

Realized a dumb mistake. I had the thermostat timer set on weekends to a later time. One of the reasons I've had problems rising on Sat mornings early. Waiting for the house to warm up. Changed the temp setting warmer just now. I'll change the timer later. Get some house cleaning done soon as it warms up.

I'm juggling payments on a couple of bills this month for the sake of getting the garden up on time. Unless I can sell the Camaro. Going to try and get $350 for it and toss in all the parts I bought. If someone else has the knowledge and time to work on it, they would be able to rebuild it themselves for maybe $200 more. 

Spring cleaning this year is going to include thinning things out some more and organizing things better. 

I do still have so many things to fix or improve that it tends to be hard to prioritize. Slowly getting easier. I do still need to finish some wall work in a couple of rooms but haven't been able to do it because of scheduling. Don't want all the dust flying or covering things while daughter is here. 

Wells Fargo is still playing games. They still have not applied the payment I made two weeks ago, making it appear as though I am further behind than I am. They're probably hoping for some huge lump sum payment (which I would pay if I had it just to be done with the BS). However, not gonna happen. I note the balances well and know how much is actually behind and currently due. It will be current within 4-6 weeks. Would be faster but utility bills really jumped last couple of months. (I need to get the insulation done, badly.)

As I was expecting, the strawberry roots from Walmart are starting poorly. Couple are turning green but very low compared to the ones from Home Depot. Lesson learned. 

Transplanted more tomatoes last night. Then just pulled the remaining seedlings (which were looking a bit weak) and started spinach seeds. If I start any more tomatoes I'll just start them directly in larger seed pots after I start moving other things outside. 

My day off for doctor's appointment was denied. That's okay. Just going to cancel the appointment, any way. They can't get their billing straight. They're still billing incorrectly for my first appointment. Plus I have no urge to be on immunosuppressive drugs, which is the treatment course. Won't discount it if it comes to that but I'll stick with my own regimen for now.

My symptoms are well under control (especially when compared to things I've read from other people with the same condition). Funny, I have rarely heard of this condition before in hospitals. That's a good thing. Means it's mostly an outpatient condition which doesn't directly lead to high numbers of surgeries and acute hospitalizations. However, it does come with an increased risk of intestinal cancer in some situations. Luckily, I am not in the increased risk category. 

For the gypsum (which I had planned to get the same day as doctor's appointment), I will use my remaining "life happens" day for this period. Wait and see if I can get the compost and wood chips delivered this week, then spread the gypsum, compost and wood chips all in the same day. And keep a pile of compost set aside for planters and containers. If I can't get the compost delivered that soon, I'll go ahead and replace the CV joint on the Mazda that day. 

Been having an intense urge to go to karaoke since other things are falling back in line. Dropping off from the idea of other groups I was looking at. I like to socialize but not quite so structured. Singles groups are too focused on either commitment or prowling for sex. Nature groups troll for intense commitment to projects which require whole days. Not against it myself but would have to drag daughter along and not sure how that would pan out. In all cases, just too inflexible. I've always been the kind of person who would help plan a party for weeks, spend days setting it up and then leave halfway through the actual party. If there is too much superficiality present, which can't be often planned. If there is not, I'm the guy who helps clean up. Even been known to leave and come back to clean up. I like structure but not rigidity or exclusion. Always been a problem for me.