Inactivity

Haven't done much this weekend. Daughter hasn't been overtly ill but had signs of some low level illness. Getting better now. I offered many times to go places but she wanted to stay home.

She makes that decision more and more often. It's not necessarily laziness. I think it's more just wanting a refuge and release from the rest of the world. I understand that because I was very much the same way at her age. Her abstract reasoning started before a normal age but is now reaching high gear. It requires time to assimilate all the things going on outside with what is going on inside. 

She's growing up. Part of her is, understandably resisting it. I'm glad. First of all, no matter how old she gets, I'm always going to see my little girl. The baby I held in my arms, chased in circles, swung around the living room.. Plus the fact that children who try to grow up too fast lose so much joy in the rest of their lives. 

She has already gained a preference for movies and music that have a point to them. Preferably a positive point. She understands strongly the concept of not failing. Not because she always has to succeed but because you learn from failure. The point is not giving up. However, I have made it clear that negative emotions are okay on a temporary basis. Just be sure they are temporary. Let the past be the past. 

On a more mundane note, more problems with the kitchen plumbing. Damn dogs knocked the pipes on the outside wall apart. They weren't anchored well to each other. When they did that, the hole filled in with dirt, covering the underground pipe. So, I had to dig up one end of that pipe. Luckily, not very deep. Guess it was just as well. Turned out one problem was that they had never been well connected. One of the pipes going to and angle joint had originally been installed with a pipe that was broken off, not cut. I had to cut the pipe straight to make them fit securely. Now they fit better. I didn't cement the top pipes together because I plan on replacing all the pipes under the sink that lead to that spot, including the pipe leading through the wall. Just to make them work better. Just to clear the pipes more effectively, I'm letting some acid sit in the pipes overnight. 

New Mexico Constitution

A lot of people in NM state how the NM Constitution recognizes two languages as official languages. Then they reference the Hidalgo Treaty. However, I have noted many times they reference these documents but never quote them. Though I paraphrase slightly for brevity, here is what those documents actually state:

NM Constitution states that resources shall be made available to teachers to learn Spanish. (It does NOT mandate teachers to learn Spanish.) Direct quote, "..and shall provide proper means and methods to facilitate the teaching of the English language and other branches of learning to such pupils and students."

The other references in the NM Constitution refer to no limitation to Spanish speaking individuals (and no limit to race, religion or color) to vote or hold office. However, all state assemblies are held only in English. There is NO provision for Spanish to be allowed in the workplace or for extracurricular school activities. (Likewise, an employer may require all employees to speak Spanish if there is valid business reasoning but cannot hire based on primary language, color or religion.) Unless a school activity is language based, there is NO requirement to allow any language besides English in on-academic activities (like football or tennis).

The Hidalgo Treaty states, "..The Mexicans who, in the territories aforesaid, shall not preserve the character of citizens of the Mexican Republic.."

The purpose of all the above is a deterrence of prejudice and loss of cultural identity while encouraging, if not requiring, the assimilation and ability to function as members of American society.

Next step

The fact that I failed my test got me thinking. (I'm still not used to that idea. I never fail tests.) Have to check with my supervisor about what to do next. I'm pretty sure there is some way to get past this. 

However, while I enjoy my job and could (other than these tests) stay with this job for years, I have to diversify.

I'm going to start looking at being a motor scooter broker. Maybe even for a new brand of electric motorcycle with a speed of over 100 mph and range over 150 miles per charge. 

Plus I need to finish equipping the wood shop, to be able to make better quality items. 

The combination would give me more security and diversity in the future. Less dependent on badly constructed tests or (as in previous experience) emotionally unstable employers. 

I want to do the wood work, any way. Just for enjoyment and maybe extra income on the side, no matter how stable my job may be. 

Three day weekend!

Thank goodness it's a three day weekend. I need it after this week. 

Had to take my iterator tests, which are nothing but a damn head game in many cases. The rationale on some of the questions comes down to nothing but secretive semantics with no logic and no precise references. I failed one of the two, so I'm not sure what happens from here. Stupid fucking shit!

The other night my bike broke down and I wound up walking several miles, dealing with some rude people. I was parked in the parking lot of a hair salon which was closed. The employees were still inside, cleaning. I didn't bother them. While I was working on the bike, two vehicles, the employees, drove up. One didn't speak English. The other one came up and said, "We're locking the gate. You have to move out to the sidewalk." That's it. Any "Do you need some help?" Nope. Offer to let me use a phone? Nope. Any "I'm sorry but.."? Nope. Any "I hope you don't mind but.."? Nope. And that, my friends, is "New Mexico True". The only way it could have been more so would have been if they had called APD, who would have shot me for having the motorcycle key in my hand.

Hmm. Left this open while listening to music and forgot to close it out. Time for bed. Hope the coming week is better. 

Ickerators

Time for iterator tests again. I've settled on the nickname "ickerators" for them. Privately, I have names for them which are considerably less politically correct. 

I do not find these tests nearly as educational as just a head game. I've run into questions in the past where the only correct answer was to place a case in a status which 90 percent of the reviewers could not place cases in. Only a supervisor could do that. This time, there are question asking if a test would approve and then they don't name what test the question refers to!

I learn a small amount from them but learn much more from newsletters. And would learn a hell of a lot more if the information was better organized and accessible. 

I failed the first test. Have to take it again. Passed the second one. Had a headache by the end of the first one. 

On top of that, the entire network crashed again today. This is after they replaced servers this past weekend. By process of elimination, the same problems have been happening during the slowest time of the year and on some of the slowest days of the week. So the problem is not bandwidth. The same problem has now occurred after the servers were replaced. So it's not the servers. However, the problems have been happening for many months on the same days of the week, worst every single Tue and Wed but sometimes into Thur. So, the problem is predictable. Yet is not being prevented. That means there has to be something else going on which is apart from bandwidth and server function. 

Then I ran into the same issue of getting thrown into calls when my status should have prevented that. Problem with that is that I'm usually closing documentation on a previous case and the new call removes that case. Then I have to go back to the previous case after I finish the new call. It increases my risk of error and slows me down. 

Pulled a few weeds tonight but not a lot. Both garbage cans in the back yard were full and I had to transfer the contents (mostly weeds) to the big can for pickup in the morning. Sprayed some weed killer outside the garden. 

I need a night out. Think I'll check another place for karaoke tomorrow night.

More cuttings

Finally took a ride and got some cuttings from a red crape myrtle. The purple ones started growing leaves, so if the red ones root, that means we'll have red, purple and pink. Need cuttings from one more color, white, which daughter prefers. That will be all the major colors that crape myrtles display. 

Work was still a bit better today. 78 cases. Averaged with yesterday, made and extra two hours of pay so far this week. So, back on the upswing. Picking up an extra hour tomorrow. If things continue at the same pace, I should make enough in just extra pay for temporary dentures in 2-3 weeks. Then maybe the time should be about right to get decent long-term dentures when tax time comes around. Besides, going to keep picking up extra hours to have money for a decent birthday and Christmas for daughter. 

Hard to believe it's almost September already. This year has gone by really fast. 

Health keeps improving. It's been about a week since I had any appreciable amount of pain. I'm able to get comfortable. 

Not so happy with the company I ordered the solarium sheeting from so far. I ordered over the weekend and their site isn't showing the order as being shipped yet. I know it's a custom size piece, as most of what they sell is. However, I would think they have the sheeting on rolls and can cut pieces in just minutes. So, hoping it ships tomorrow.

Looking at updating my wardrobe a bit. My clothes have been pretty boring for a long time. Not looking at spending a lot of money, just decorating and modernizing clothes I already wear. I was looking at doing some spray painting of designs on some of my clothes. Plain color scrub tops are a good canvas for that. So are plain sweat shirts. They could be cool with some custom art painted on them. Problem is the price of fabric paint which can be sprayed. I'm planning on using my existing air brush. Looked for fabric medium at Walmart. The one near me doesn't carry any, so have to check the craft store this weekend. 

Scariest phone call of my life

I got a call this afternoon from my daughter's phone. I was working and the phone was in the other room, so I couldn't pick up. When I listened to the voice mail, I heard my daughter's voice saying, "No, no!" The things which made it somewhat less frightening were her tone of voice, like she was being teased. Plus the fact that I heard a lot of children in the background and it did not sound like a threatening situation. However, these days you never know and my daughter calling when she did was very out of place. 

I called back and eventually got her on the phone. Turned out she had accidentally butt-dialed me and everything was okay. 

Spent a couple of hours pulling weeds this evening. Found out there were like ten cantaloupe fruit growing which I did not even know about! Still lots of weeds to pull but getting some things cleared out around the watermelon, pumpkin, cantaloupe and green beans for now. It's still looking like the fall garden is going to do much better than the summer garden this year.

Received the battery operated dog whistle today. Little problem is the range. It may not extend far enough to quiet the neighbor's Chihuahuas. However, I do have a bullhorn which I may try combining with the dog whistle. I ordered a battery operated one so I can use it while on the phone for work. That's the problem, they're so loud they interfere with phone calls. Already tried using it on my dogs to get them to quiet down and it definitely worked!

Getting to bed soon. Did not sleep well last night at all. However, I did have lots of energy today, so looks like I'm getting back to normal. At last!

Clogged pipe

Had a clogged pipe from the kitchen today. It was spewing out onto the ground outside from the overflow tap. Took a lot of effort and several rounds of chemicals which didn't do the trick. Had to take the pipes apart and this evening ran the garden hose down the pipe. It still took over half an hour to get it cleared out but was eventually successful. I was afraid I was going to have to dig up the entire length of pipe to get it cleared. I need to use a sink strainer and maybe eventually get a garbage disposal. 

As it is, once I got the pipe cleared, I had a humongous stack of dishes to do. 

Went to Home Depot on a research trip this evening. Just figuring out the best material to use for insulating the solarium film from sharp edges. I did eventually decide foam insulation sheets will be the best option. There were a number of other options which would be less labor intensive but more expensive and on reflection I figure the insulation will also last the whole 4 years. 

The best material for the top anchors will still be 1x2's with foam weatherstripping. Have to paint or waterproof them before installing them. 

Daughter has been taking an interest in baton twirling lately. She's not doing badly at it! In this case, I have no skills or experience to pass along. However, her mother was on a high school drill team, so I advised her to ask her mother to teach her. I know that would be something which would thrill her mother and be a really good bonding thing for them. 

Been feeling better and better slowly. I think my intestines are actually finally healing to a strong degree. So, this week I'm going to get back to work on accomplishing some things which have fallen to the side for too long. 

Something else which is going to sound racist but is not. It is related to culture, not race. Culture is completely voluntary behavior which reflects common values to the member of that culture. I have made no secret of the fact in the past that I don't get along well with members of the Mexican culture. (I also don't get along well with rednecks for very similar reasons.) Lack of respect/concern for education, lack of self discipline, invasive behavior, attention seeking and violence. (All of which very commonly go together.) 

In illustration, the CDC monitors deaths by cause and listed by major race categories. This is only listing fatalities, not injuries and illnesses, which are tracked separately but listed on the same chart but not illustrative of this point. All listings are from 2011.

White, non Hispanic deaths, by assault, all genders-
Age 15-24- 4.1 percent
Age 25-34- 6.8 percent
Age 35-44- 1.9 percent
Decreases from there.

Hispanic, by assault, all genders-
Age 15-24- 19.3 percent
Age 25-34- 12.9 percent
Age 35-44- 5.4 percent
Decreases from there.

In the grand total of deaths, for Hispanic deaths by assault total 1.8 percent. For white, non-Hispanic, deaths by assault are less than 0.8 percent. 

I know people will lay claim to all manner of rationalizations for this divergence. Personally, I see it is as a reflection of cultural values, rational thought and problem solving versus irrational emotional response. It also reflects the ability to project future consequences into decisions, which involves the ability (and personal regard for) abstract thought. 

The really sad thing is that these thing have gotten worse over the years. I knew more people of Hispanic heritage when I was young who had a high regard for education, dignity and rational thought than I know today. So I don't hold much hope for thing improving soon.
 

Change of plans

Since I can't pick up the truck as early as I need it on Labor Day, I'm changing priorities. Ordered the film for the solarium. At 13 cents a square foot, the price isn't bad per foot. However, not exactly cheap  for the entire square footage needed. On the other hand, it's a much better grade than what I've been using, which doesn't last. 

There is an irony that I can't install the film until after I rent the truck. Still need 1x2's which are too long for the car. May still need more 2x4's, also. Or lower sections, need some particle board or plywood. I can use particle board and attach the sheathing the dogs knocked down. Still, I can put up the last extension posts for the solarium. I have the lumber and concrete on hand for that. Then the sheeting will already be here when I get the rest of the supplies. 

Then I may use a lot of the cinder blocks to build a fire pit and/or a jet heater which I was thinking of last year. If weather is too cold, I could build a fire which would be safe enough with the right design. The heat would help warm the back wall of the house, also. 

Jelly!

Success! The jelly gelled like it's supposed to! Couldn't be sure last night. It has to cool completely before it gels. You can test a spoonful and cool it quickly but it's different seeing 12 jars gelled. 

There was a manhunt for a criminal in the area of daughter's school a couple days ago. I didn't know about it until that night. They had locked the school down. I emailed the ex to see if everyone was okay. She said daughter wasn't scared. She was just concerned that her mother would worry about her! I love that kid! In a scary situation and all she thinks about is someone else!

Looks like I'll have to delay the insulation again. Got an email for the reservation for the truck on Labor Day. They have me scheduled to pick the truck up at noon. That's not enough time to pick up the truck, get the insulation and the blower, come home and install the insulation, etc. I'll just cancel it, arrange a different day off and make a new reservation. Not a bad decision. Save money and buy more bags of insulation to get more of the ceiling insulated to the degree I want. 

Here's a good thing. After two road trips, I still have a PTO balance of over 27 hours left! 

Pay went in this morning and, as expected, not as high as it has been but still good. Seems I get paid a slightly higher rate for PTO than my regular pay. Maybe they average it for productivity?  

Jelly! I hope..

So, I finished up making the grape jelly tonight. Got 12 half pints plus a half gallon of grape juice left over. 

Took down all the sunflowers in the front and all but two in the back this evening. Let them dry for a few days, then run them through the shredder. Sprayed weed and grass killer in the front, to try and get rid of the unwanted growth where I plant flowers. Still need to spray in the back. 

Not much else to write about tonight. Hard to believe it's almost September already.

No jelly yet

Picked the rest of the grapes I was going to pick from the red grape vine. Turned out to be a lot more than expected, so I wound up with a total of about 12 lbs of grapes. Washed them and ran all of them through the food processor, then boiled the juice. Came out to a little over a gallon. For juice, that's not much but for jelly it's a really good amount because it doesn't have to cook down. 

Had to run around to 3 different stores to get pectin for the jelly. One store carries jars but no pectin. Another store carries both but was out of pectin. Finally the third store had pectin in stock. I got the low/no sugar kind, so I can use less sugar. If additional sweetness is needed, I'll use sucralose. 

Even using the food processor, the process is messy. Anyone who says it's not is either lying or willing to spend many more hours doing this than I am for the same results. 

After all the other work involved, once the juice was boiled I ran out of steam. No more energy to sterilize jars and canning equipment. I'll stick the juice in the fridge and finish the jelly tomorrow night. 

I ordered a battery operated dog whistle today. My dogs make some noise but the damn Chihuahuas across the street make so much noise at times while I'm working that I have to close the window next to my desk. Besides, daughter isn't fond of me carrying the pellet gun to deter the (more) Chihuahuas down the street when we walk but I don't trust those ugly hairless rats. So I want something which will control all the neighborhood dogs. Mine a limited part of the time but neighbors make no effort to control their animals. Just the noise is enough of a problem. I could get in trouble if an auditor listens to one of my calls with dogs barking in the background. I like my job. Don't want to fail an audit and deal with the fallout when I plan on applying for a supervisor position in the future.

Planning for winter

I'm planning ahead for covering the solarium for the winter. The film I'm looking at is formal greenhouse covering film. It's 6 mil thick, five layers, tear resistant and contains IR, UV and anti-condensation additives. Supposed to last up to 4 years. (If I install it so that wind and dogs don't destroy it.) It's sold in custom widths and lengths. A tentative calculation is that 1000 sq ft would cost $120 plus shipping. Their shipping isn't outrageous. So, that seems doable this year. 

The more difficult and expensive part remains dog-proofing the lower sections where the dogs will have access. They're too stupid to understand that tearing the whole thing apart means they will get really cold. 

One problem is sharp edges on the wood and angles at the top. Decided on an inexpensive solution to that by getting foam sheet insulation and attaching that to the wood before putting the film on. That will cushion the wood, can be attached with construction adhesive and then 1x2's to anchor the film. Then it may actually last for 4 years! 

Then going to install (at some point) an improvised heat pump system. Just large black PVC piping with large holes cut in it at one end. Suspend that from the higher ceiling of the solarium. Attach a downward pipe or hose, a small fan at the bottom to blow air back at the bottom. Sunlight will heat the air, which rises. The air gets more heated inside the black pipe and the heated air gets blown out. Then this continues in a cycle throughout the day. By evening, it should be hot in the solarium. At night, the solarium insulates against conductive heat loss. I can add a thermocouple to the fan circuit at some point, so it runs automatically when temperatures reach a certain point, then shuts down when temperatures drop. 

That would keep the house, the dogs, the plants and the pipes all nice and warm. Long as it works and doesn't get destroyed.

Juice grapes

Just picked about 10 lbs of tiny red grapes. They taste really good but too small to be table grapes. They should make good juice, though! I may give a shot at making grape jelly this year.

This was actually a fairly low percentage of the grapes that grew on that vine this year. The rest were very popular with the birds. That's okay, there will still be plenty left for them which I don't pick. There are still a few lbs of grapes left on this vine but it got too dark. Get them tomorrow and then turn all of them to juice. 

Took another ride to the next closest pawn shop this evening. Hours weren't posted online. It apparently closes at 5:30 or earlier. No signs outside whether they carry weapons or not but somehow I'm guessing they don't. Just going to have to check places further away this weekend. 

I still have a feeling that things are going to change here very drastically, very soon, very fast. If the woman currently in the hospital comes back positive for Ebola, that time may come in only weeks. There may be no good reason for the reactions that are possible but that doesn't mean they won't occur. However, I am really glad I'm working at home. I've said before that I am often led to where I need to be at a certain time. Very good chance that is the case now. Kind of tragic how stubborn I was and what a long route it took me but, again, maybe I have been in other places I needed to be. Literally and figuratively.

The ex and her husband have something they're doing Sat morning, so I'm picking daughter up Fri evening. That's good. I like having more time with her. Maybe we'll go swimming and/or out to eat. I'll take our swimsuits along just in case.  

High alert

So, the same day I made the absolute decision to buy a weapon, I turn on the news (after coming back from the pawn shop) to see a woman has been hospitalized here in Albuquerque, being screened for Ebola. She came back from Sierra Leone earlier this month and was hospitalized on Sat. (This is the first it has been on the news.)

If she is infected, the American Patient Zero is right here in town and has been out in the community for at least a week.

Even though Ebola has a 70 percent fatality rate, I am not nearly as concerned about the infection as I am about public reaction. The first patient being located in Albuquerque is almost a worst case scenario. That is due to location and culture. 

Location because it sits at the intersection of two major highways which run coast to coast, Mexico to Wyoming. Which then connects with other highways and all directions. Trucks, trains and jets pass through here daily going all directions. 

Culture because so much of the culture here is lower education, traditional Mexican and Native American, Catholic/religious, large numbers of illegal immigrants. Not a racist statement but not a secret that these are the conditions in which an epidemic/pandemic will spread most quickly, with greatest number infected. 

Even in absence of true epidemic/pandemic, it does not take an infection for people to go off the deep end. Only the fear of infection. 

So, when I went to the pawn shop nearest my house, it turned out they don't carry firearms. Not licensed for them. Said they're "not licensed yet." Yeah, they've only been open like 5 years or more.

Checked around for other pawn shops. Every pawn shop in this city closes no later than 6 PM. Just wondering if my memory was accurate, I checked the hours of pawn shops in Austin. They're open until 7, 8, 9 PM. So, not a faulty memory. Just another sign of why I feel like I'm living in a third world country. 

I'll see if I can find one in reasonable driving distance and put a weapon in layaway tomorrow. I think it needs to be soon.

Weapons

I have had a strong feeling for a while that I need to buy at least one firearm, preferably more. That feeling has recently gotten much more intense. So, I'm going to look at a pawn shop this evening and put at least one pistol in layaway. 

I think this is directly related to diseases which are spreading, which I am certain are about to set the world on fire. It's not in the distant future now, it's coming fast.

I am also going to stock up on bleach and nitrile gloves soon. Plus can a lot of vegetables. Think I'll order and extra bucket of protein powder. 

If it happens that I am wrong about this, all these things have a use. Canned foods last a long time. Bleach and gloves are good to have around. If no other use for gloves than to clean up dog poop. Protein powder I can keep one ahead. 

Already have various other weapons around the house for close range use. Of course, I have the knowledge of how to use them. Also have the well. Need to buy sand and gravel for a filtration system. Still have the generator. Needs some work but will function. If I see things accelerating, will get rechargeable batteries. This house can be secured within a few hours with supplies I have on hand. Wish I had the money for wind and solar generators. Though those could make the house a bigger target. 

Call it paranoia but I have had this feeling for years and pushed it aside because it wasn't urgent. Now that feeling is changing and seems much more acute. Rather be safe than sorry. Even if it's my mind blowing things into worst case scenario, I would prefer to be wrong. Only time will tell but I think that time frame is now within the next 2-3 years, if not less.

No broccoli seeds

I've tried several sources, not finding any broccoli seeds. Many stores have stopped carrying seeds for the year. Shows they don't know anything about planting, since this is the time of year that some things should be planted for a fall crop. 

No plant nurseries near my house. Have to try one on the other side of town this weekend. 

Have to admit I've blown a little money in the last few weeks on things not exactly needed. However, they were things which are useful. Sawhorse brackets, watering spikes, the motion detector for the front yard. In each case on sale. Plus some art and craft supplies because daughter loves the craft stores. 

Next I need to get some backing material for her curtains. I want to get some very heavy material which insulates the windows but not a fleece which gathers dust. Saw some material I've pretty much decided on, which is a quilted backing. It will make her curtains so heavy they have to be washed in an upright industrial machine but how often do curtains or drapes have to be washed? 

I've also started playing around with spray painting clothes. Not much success as yet because the quality of the paint I bought was sad. Have to mess around with it some more and try loading sone non-spray paint into a paint sprayer and giving that a go. Just trying to change my image without paying exorbitant prices. Besides, I still like things that are one of a kind. No risk of running into someone else wearing the same thing. 

Any way, too a count and the tomatoes transplanted out this weekend brings the total vines to 14. Only 7 of those are yet large enough to produce but the other 7 should reach that point in a few weeks. Weather is remaining warm enough for a while, so I do expect to see tomatoes from them. More so if I can get part of the solarium completed and enclosed before true autumn comes in. 

Learning from my daughter

Today, daughter wanted to pick up trash around the neighborhood park. So, that's what we did. She's been wanting a pick-up tool for some time, so got her one today and she used that. I picked things up manually. Good exercise. 

So, I'm learning from her about conservation. She has a good grasp of the concept but did have questions about how we started using waste dumps. I was able to explain what is good and bad about them to a good degree. 

Also got her a Venus Fly Trap today. She's wanted one for a while and I saw them at Walmart a few days ago. What kid doesn't want one of those around 11 years old?

She also helped me put tomato plants in larger containers. Did 4 more and now I'm out of buckets. Have to ask at Albertson's this coming week. 

I also got a new shovel, got the rose bush in the ground. Daughter collected earth worms while I was digging and started a worm farm. 

Her grasp of ecology is impressive and keeps growing. 

Chromecast

Got the Google Chromecast I ordered last night. Took more than 2 hours to install it because it told me to adjust my router settings. Once I did that, the router stopped responding. Completely. I couldn't even access the router settings again. Had to spend a large amount of time on the phone with Centurylink. The first two people I spoke with were incompetent. They were both male. I finally called back and spoke with a female who was able to help. Once it was installed properly, it worked perfectly. Can now watch Netflix and such on the TV again.

Picked up three huge bags of potting soil from Lowe's last night, also. Didn't get to do anything with it because of the time spent with the router. 

Think I broke my left small toe. Dropped a chair on it. Hurts and bruised but moves, so only a partial simple fracture. Means it will hurt while walking for a little while but nothing major.

Should anyone question why I keep having gastric problems and fatigue yet insist my health is improving, it's for good reason. Other problems have decreased or gone away. My healing time had become very extended for me. That is back to normal. I never lost hair but growth had slowed. Now it's growing as fast as ever. (Not all good. Means I have to get haircuts more frequently.) Joint aches have decreased or stopped. I have virtually no shoulder problems any more, except stretching a lot. Mental clarity is good but my memory still sucks. Nothing new about that. Energy level is back up but heat tolerance is still down. At least that's with good timing, since the weather is cooling. 

So, I have a lot to do before winter comes in. At least I should have the energy to do those things.

New source

Okay, I took a look around for a new source of potting soil. Lowe's has potting soil at a good price, so I'll go get a few bags this weekend. Then get a few more tomatoes into larger containers. I don't have enough containers for all of them but a few more. 

Since I won't be getting all my teeth pulled as soon as hoped, I decided to order a Google Chromecast. Haven't been able to watch internet movies on the TV for a while because of the problem with the video channel on the motherboard. Won't send a signal through the HDMI cable. The Chromecast is less expensive than a new motherboard. 

I also need to do some work on the car and finish some more of the work on the house.

Gotten a bit disorganized. So much to do I need to write a new to-do list to prioritize what needs to come first. 

I am thinking of finding a live-in girlfriend. Partly just to have some help with mundane tasks, which will allow me more time to work on major tasks. However, I admit that I get lonely at times and over 5 years is a long, long time to be alone and celibate. 

The new bucket of protein powder came in today. So, I'm ready for whenever I do get the dental work. 

Learned a recipe today which makes drinking vinegar much more tolerable. That makes the vinegar tablets kind of wasted money. However, I can carry them with me when I won't be home for a while. With the new recipe, I can increase the vinegar intake dramatically, which I am hoping has some very beneficial effects. 

Today sucked for work. Slow day in multiple ways. Slow callers, slow calls. I didn't even make my 70 cases today. Came in at 66 cases. At least I still come out ahead for the week. Plus I am picking up an extra hour tomorrow.

While my health seems to be improving again overall, it is (obviously) fraught with ups and downs. I am so sick of it emotionally that I'm thinking of looking into surgery sometime next year. That is, if it can be done endoscopically or laparoscopically. I know it will first require getting a CT scan to make sure the masses in my intestines are constrained to inside the intestines. Until then, I'll keep up the regimen I've been keeping to try and reduce the size of the growths. Been working so far and I know they've gotten smaller. However, even though they are benign, they have the potential to become malignant and even benign masses can produce their own hormones which throw off body chemistry. For now, they're basically classified as scar tissue. By the steps I have been taking, I no longer get the crawling feeling I used to get. That feeling I know now came from either Candida overgrowth or from food working through a constriction in my intestines. Any surgery and even planning for it isn't going to be cheap. Plus I'll have to take a few days off from work. If it can be done the way I mention above, I'm hoping to keep it less than a week. Maybe 2-3 days. Good benefit to working from home, it decreases the stress on the body, so I can limit time off.  

Fall planting

May sound like a misnomer to say I am doing my fall planting. However, fall planting refers to fall crops, not the time of the planting. Just like spring planting is often done in late winter and summer planting is done in spring. 

Any way, I did do my fall planting a little while ago. Purple carrots, pie pumpkin, spinach. Just for kicks, I planted more green beans and cucumbers plus some dill. Not sure any of those last ones will see any results but worth trying.

I have an odd feeling this year that the fall garden this year is going to seriously outshine the summer garden. 

Sugar cane was a complete bust. So were peppers. I think peppers are highly sensitive to salt. What plants still survive have leaves all curled up, a sure sign of high sodium toxicity. Next year, I'm going to apply many times the amount of gypsum than I did this year, followed by lots more acid. Things are improving but not quite there.

I see watermelons forming now. The cantaloupe vines have tons of flowers, more than I've ever seen on them. 

More tomatoes forming. Not as many as I hoped for but getting better. I think I'll see more soon, now that weather has cooled slightly. 

Going to give a shot at a new kale recipe tonight. Small scale at first. If it isn't palatable, it will all go in the compost. Not much good to grow food you can't stand. 

Feeling a lot better this evening than last few days. Part the steps I've taken for the past few days. However, the Acidophilus I ordered came in today and I am surprised to seriously think that help a huge amount. Shortly after it came in, I took double the usual dose. Within 2 hours, I was feeling better. Maybe just coincidence but not going to test that theory.

Got 3 more tomato plants into containers which have gotten quite tall but leggy. Planted them deep. Those three were all I had potting soil for. Walmart stopped carrying the less expensive potting soil, so I guess I'll have to check Home Depot and Lowe's. 

The dates I requested for my dental appointment was denied. Finally. All I really asked for was a yes or no answer. Since I have to reschedule, I wanted to do so, so I can actually get some dentures sometime this dang year!Then I call to reschedule and they tell me that the first appointment will only be an exam and planning. So, just as well that it was denied. 

I think I'll see about doing the insulation on Labor Day. That does mean I have to check and plan ahead for a rental truck and so forth. Not sure what will happen with rental trucks and the home improvement places on Labor Day weekend.

Cycles

Feeling a bit better this morning. Really tired of going through these cycles. Feel bad, then feel better, sometimes with some fairly unpleasant steps in between. 

Didn't get anything done last night except planting a few pumpkin seeds. Other than that I was way too tired. Now this afternoon and evening the forecast calls for rain. Maybe there will be enough of a space that I can get more seeds in the ground.

At least the rain happened with timing that allowed the grass killer to absorb. 

I need to get some of these tomato seedlings into larger containers before they die off. Getting crowded now. They're rather "leggy" but that's not a problem. Means I can plant them deeper and that extra stem length will form roots, so the plant will mature faster. Going to try setting a few in the ground, to see if the toxicity has decreased yet. 

Maybe, maybe not

Had planned on taking a walk and doing some planting this evening. Now it's raining pretty hard. Waiting to see if it stops.

Still dragging badly. Know what it is but not going into it here. Have to keep doing what I've been doing to improve it. Gonna get worse before it gets better, I guess. Blech.

I did get out and spray more grass killer this morning, so hoping there will be less problem with weeds and grass competing and crowding fall crops. 

I'll add to this same post later if things change.

Extra expenses

Had a few extra expenses that only come up every few months but nothing extreme. 

Most expensive was a new bucket of protein powder, which I buy 10 lbs at a time. Cheaper that way, plus the kind I buy tastes better than any I've tried and does not have Creatine in it.

Then I had to order a new bottle of Acidophilus. Ran out a couple of weeks ago. Actually been feeling a difference due to the lack. Again, I order a few months worth at a time. 

Plus I ordered some more Apple Cider Vinegar tablets. Just cannot talk myself into drinking liquid vinegar as often as I need to. Either need to force my tolerance higher or take the bite and order the tablets more often and in greater supply. 

May sound silly or like it's in my head but these things make a huge difference in the way I feel and in my general health. Protein powder keeps my calorie intake up, prevents weight loss and helps retain muscle mass. The latter two help keep a healthier balance in my gut, especially keeping Candida growth restrained. 

Of course, when I get my teeth pulled, may not feel my best for a few days. However, using that time intentionally to also give my gastric system a rest. Sticking with liquids and extremely soft foods for a few days. which may give my guts a chance to heal more thoroughly. I have no doubt I have more extensive intestinal damage because I haven't been able to properly chew my food for some time. Not enough teeth. Sounds repulsive but I know other people go through much of the same thing. 

All of this comes back around to what I said early this year. This is a year of healing for me on multiple levels. Physical, emotional and financial. Before the beginning of next year, I'm going to be in a whole lot better condition than I have been for a while. Even the vacations with daughter helped me tremendously emotionally/spiritually. 

Kale

Had a bit more kale growing than I thought. Harvested 8 plastic grocery bags of it! Now all I have to do is find a way to cook it so it doesn't suck. Actually, the taste isn't bad, just too strong for me. Going to try cooking, draining and then seasoning. Maybe draining it will make it less intense. Then again, what can you really say about a vegetable that even the aphids, grasshoppers and cabbage moth didn't touch? 

If I can't find a decent way to cook it, I'll give it to my friend that has lots of rabbits. 

Trimmed the grass where the kale and carrots were all harvested. Then turned off the irrigation system and sprayed the whole area with grass and weed killer. Spraying in the evening isn't the best time but the temperature is still above 80, so it should absorb. If it's warm enough in the morning, I may spray again. Then I can plant seeds in the evening. 

Broke my shovel yesterday, so need to get a new one. Oh, well. That one was  years old. Maybe I can get a new handle for it. Have to check Harbor Freight. 

Tomorrow is my one year anniversary on the job! Yay! Still enjoying the job, except for IT problems and rude people, both of which are understandable to be less than enthusiastic about. 

Going to get to bed soon. Overall, my health is good but I still get tired and overheated all too easily. Seriously not normal for me because I've always been energetic and had a really high tolerance for heat. This sucks. 

Irrigation repair

Had to do some irrigation repair last evening. The drip emitters I installed for the container plants were not good. Hasn't been much of an issue with the rain we've been having but now that's slowing down. I could manually irrigate them once a day but that adds more work load and defeats the whole purpose of the irrigation system. 

So, got some new inline drip emitters on the way home last evening. Installed them soon as I got home, tested and they work fine. 

The bad emitters are probably one big reason the cucumbers have done so badly. Most of the cucumber vines have died. Oh, well. Cucumbers had gone up in price a bit for a while but are back down. Plus I still have pickles left over from last year. If I want to make more pickles, I can still make them for about $1 a jar. For the moment, with the dental work coming up, it's a moot point. I can't chew them, daughter doesn't like them and the ex is.. well, the ex.

Now that weather is cooling down again, the plants are flowering again. When the temps go up near 100, most of the crops don't flower. Now I see dozens, maybe hundreds of flowers. Currently only about a dozen tomatoes on the vine and a couple of cantaloupes. Hope to see more forming in the next week.

I did note last evening that I need to run acid through the system again. Some of the emitters are clogged with mineral deposits. Maybe I should do that now, before I start work. Then the acid will sit in the lines during the heat of the day and be more effective. The timers are all set to run at night. 

This evening, I also have to trim grass in the formal garden, harvest kale and plant late summer/fall crops. Have to check labels but where I can, I'm going to apply grass killer. Can do that where I'll be planting seeds, since it affects only actively growing plants. 

Carrots

Daughter and I harvested carrots this evening, once the heat of the day was dropping. Turned out the garden is producing a lot better this year than I thought! We harvested 18-20 lbs of carrots! (That is, just the carrots, after tops were cut off.) It added up to more than that when including the ones she ate and cracked carrots we're saving to feed to horses, along with the tops. 

Other than that, we got two chicks today. Went to Harbor Freight for the alarm for the front yard. Played Uno. She didn't really want to do much away from home. I worry sometimes because she's rather averse to spending much time in public. Guess I can't say much because I was the same at her age. I'm still pretty non-social. What really matters though is that she's happy with who she is, which is harder for social people to achieve and easier for introverts. 

Any way, we also had plums and grapes from the garden this evening but her favorite was the carrots. 

I have to harvest the rest of the kale and trim the grass before I plant late summer crops. 

Temperatures cooling

Daytime temperatures are mostly cooling back into the 80's, with only a couple of days forecast breaking 90. Looks like it's time to get the late summer crops planted for fall! 

The growing season here typically runs until late Oct or early Nov, sometimes later. Right now is a good time to get fall crops in the ground, like a second crop of carrots. Maybe try broccoli again. Last pie pumpkin seeds in the ground. Spinach would be a good thing to try again. See if I have better luck as the weather is cooling than I did in the spring. I think aphids and grasshoppers this year took out the spinach crop because I did see spinach plants but they were always chewed to the center. 

Been taking steps to control the ant population, which helps control the aphid population. That's because ants "farm" and protect aphids. Decrease the ant population and other insects feed on the aphids. Plus, aphids are not very mobile on their own. 

Turned out I miscalculated yesterday and actually had more money in the bank than I thought. So, even with all the bills paid I should have money left to roll over to my next check. I also have money in a health savings account which I have been conserving for the planned dental work. That account is funded my my employer at $400 a year and can really only be used for medical care. No complaints. 

That clinches installing the insulation, also. I may be able to go up to 30 bags. That's still only part of what calculations say I should install, which runs between 100 and 120 bags but it will still be an improvement. I'm not really expecting to have to use as many as 120 bags because of insulation I stuffed in by hand over the bathroom but I'll install the bow-in insulation in stages, so I'm not so likely to buy far too much. Seen a lot of people do that, then they're selling it at a loss or something like that. However, the home improvement stores will refund the money if you buy too much and return the excess packages. 

Other than that, if I can divert some money, want to finish the extension and cover the solarium again. This time, with materials too strong for the dogs to destroy. Part of it is, after all, intended to keep them warm in the winter. My preference would be to keep it clear all the way to the ground but that isn't going to happen with the way these dogs tear things up and my budget. As long as it remained intact last year, it achieved the goals of keeping a warm space for them and helped insulate the house. However, they had destroyed a huge part of it by late winter, which allowed strong winds inside which lifted the plastic sheeting and tore the roof to bits. So, have to go with plywood for the bottom section and heavier sheeting for the roof this time. 

For now, I was able to order my protein powder, so I'm prepared for a mostly liquid diet for a few days after having my teeth pulled. Plus going to Harbor Freight to get a wireless driveway alarm (on special with good timing) for the front yard to deter the neighborhood dogs from crapping there. It will alert me if there is movement in the yard.

Yay!

Well, may not be where I really want to be financially but sure closer. Paid all the bills and still have money to live on, enough that I should have some amount left over when next check comes around. Not much doubt I'll be able to get all my teeth pulled this month. Plus probably install at least 20 bags of insulation in the ceiling. It will mean less or nothing left in savings but these things are important and have been seriously needed for a very long time. 

I'm sure the insulation is going to be badly needed for this coming winter. Looks like it will be a damp winter, which means a cold winter. Last winter was cold but with a relatively cool and damp summer two years in a row, this one is shaping up to be one to remember. 

Current problem with the dentist appointment is scheduling. I honestly didn't realize I had scheduled the appointment for Fri before Labor Day weekend. I didn't look at that, just got the first Fri appointment available. May wind up changing it. Bummer. Means it will push back getting teeth another week or two. 

Okay, need to go pull some weeds, wash dishes and stuff like that.

Getting there

Pay went in the bank this morning. Not my biggest check but not bad. 

Not sure what next check will look like, since taking a few days off and yesterday was a little slow. I get paid for the days off but at base rate, where I usually make more.

Any way, Trying to reach two goals this month. One is getting all my teeth pulled. The other is to install some level of blown in insulation. Those are financial goals. Otherwise, it's pretty much manual labor.

They finally enabled online payments for my mortgage again, so that saves me standing in line at the bank. Made the mortgage payment this morning. A few days late but before late charges or notices kicked in. 

I should be able to get temporary dentures next month. Even if I had the money right now, don't think I would go with temporary dentures the same day I had my teeth pulled. Give it a few weeks for swelling to settle and gums to heal. Have to wait at least 6 months to get regular dentures because it takes that long for the tissue to heal completely. 

I'll admit it will be a relief to get all my teeth out. Dental problems are linked to a lot of health problems and I can't be sure if I am having health issues related to my teeth. I know it has been bad for my self image for a very long time and that's not good. I want my daughter to see me smile without embarrassment again.

First day back to work

First day back to work after the short vacation. Now I'm tired. Amazing how fatiguing sitting in a chair all day can be.

Next step for cuttings. Daughter loves pomegranates, so I found someone nearby who was willing to trade for some cuttings. Went after work and she traded me some Cosmos seeds for a few cuttings. Nice lady! Hope the cuttings take.

So, I have quite a collection of cuttings sitting to hopefully take root. Not seeing any signs they're doing so just yet but the roots have to form before I'll see anything, I know. 

Not much else to write about. Just going to get some sleep tonight. Didn't sleep well last night. Probably because I slept so late yesterday morning. Have to get back on schedule. Nice to have a short work week, only two days.

Late start

I must have needed some sleep to recuperate from the trip. Woke up at 7:30 but rolled over to sleep some more. Just woke up an hour ago, more or less. Felt good to not have to set an alarm.

I do need to get a few things done around here today but not feeling guilty about starting late. Not like I'm on any schedule for anything. 

Managed to get back from the trip and still have money to live on. Admittedly, haven't paid a few bills yet but no final notices as yet. Could have paid them but that would have meant paying the child support late. Funny thing, final notices cause some minor stress but listening to the ex gives me a headache which the threat of having utilities turned off doesn't cause. I'll be able to bring all the bills current this weekend. 

Daughter and I missed major rains for our entire trip. Saw a lot more fog and clouds (at ground level) plus minor drizzle along the way. Meanwhile, the day we left is the day Albuquerque had major flash flooding. 

Luckily, my house isn't prone to flooding. This house was actually well built on a rise which slopes off in all directions and the main house is raised, so the whole area can be under water and my main house stays dry. One room can get flooded if there is enough rain, the big living room. However, I took steps last year to reduce that risk and have not seen water coming in this year, even with multiple flash floods which outdid the rains last year. 

What I have been seeing is an increase in bugs in the house. All adult and all dead. I spray to control them and suspect they are still coming from the house being renovated across the street. The numbers increase consistently every time the day after I see major work being done over there, which has become sporadic. 

There was a question for a while about that house. Now it's confirmed to me. Nobody planning on living there unless they are moving out of another existing house. More likely they want to flip the house. The house has been in a condition that it could be inhabited for weeks. All the work I see happening is all esthetic and geared toward increasing selling price. While I saw absolutely no signs of installation of insulation. They'll regret that if they don't sell the house before winter. Otherwise, they'll have to keep the heat on in an empty house to avoid pipes bursting. Unless it's at ground level, no signs of environment control like swamp cooler or air conditioning. They pulled weeds last week inside the yard and left 4 ft high weeds remaining immediately in front of the fence. Yeah, that'll make a good impression to a buyer. 

On that note, I'm expecting the current owners to give me crap about my front yard any time now if I don;t cut the grass. One of my tasks for today. Plus getting a rose bush in the ground there. (It's suffering in the container.)

Okay, need to get off my butt and start moving here. 

Relaxed day

After the somewhat hectic pace of the past few days, daughter and I had a much more relaxed day today. Stayed home today, except for taking some apples and carrots and taking a walk to feed some horses that can reach the path along one of the aqueducts. 

Daughter got quite creative with her stuffed animals. Made a spy sheep complete with harness to dangle upside down and a mask, then hung it from a wooden rod to control it. 

I still have tomorrow off. Dropped daughter off at her mother's this evening. Going to get some things done around the house tomorrow. I would have kept her with me tomorrow but I misunderstood when daughter goes back to school. I thought she goes back this Fri, turns out it's next Wed. Oh, well. I have things which really need to be done here. 

Both if us were tired this evening when I dropped her off. Not quite enough sleep and a whole lot of walking past few days! Got to sleep late last night and had to wake up early today to drop off the rental car. So, I already took a potent combination to knock me completely unconscious tonight. Not an easy thing to do. 

Grand Canyon

Just got back from a rather quick trip to the Grand Canyon with daughter. Left Sat, came back today. We also saw the Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, Little Colorado Gorge, Bearizona and a bridge just feet off the beaten track which most people just drive past without stopping. I love old bridges.

The day we went to the Canyon turned out to be the foggiest day any of the Rangers could remember. Great. We were afraid the fog would never lift but it finally did in the early afternoon. We didn't get to see a whole lot of the Canyon but did see a couple of viewing points. So, barely saved from another Scott Griswald moment.

Daughter and I kept kidding around before we got there, "Still not seeing a canyon!" Then we got there and it was so foggy we could not see beyond the edge while standing feet away from a 1000 plus foot drop. We kept nudging each other and saying, "Still not seeing a canyon!"

It was a busy three days but well worth it.

Recycling

I put my recycling bin out for pickup Wed night. On Thur evening, I looked out and it had not been picked up. It was lying on it's side with stuff still in it.

Haven't looked but can guess what happened. Some ghetto neighbor turned it over to look for cans. I don't even mind them taking the cans but leaving it on it's side I do mind. 

So, looks like I have another use for the pellet gun. Talking to people like that won't help. They already know better. The only approach you can use with them is giving them direct threat of immediate consequence. Not my preference but apparently what is required. I won't intentionally hit them but shoot close enough to get their attention. This gun wouldn't pierce skin at point blank range, so shooting the length of the driveway is safe. (I had dart guns stronger than this as a kid.) 

Got a lot of house cleaning done last night. Laundry, dishes, sweeping and mopping. Plus changed the batteries in the dog collars. At least for the pup, I have to do that about every two weeks because he stands right where it beeps but doesn't shock him for long periods.