Small update

Got the turkey cut up, most in the freezer now. The part of Thanksgiving everyone hates most. 

So, going to be rather short of funds the next two weeks. However, definitely stocked up. I have so much in the freezer that I couldn't fit anything else in there. Plus lots of dry goods in the cabinets. Enough gas in the tank that it will probably be enough until next payday. Coffee and cigarettes are biggest things still and don't see any problems there. 

Have to wait to go see the Bugg Lights until next paycheck. They moved them to the Harvey House in Belen and are charging to see them now. I think they also have a model railroad display, which is also included in the admission. I'll enjoy the model railroad display but it's still a shame they moved the lights. Daughter and I had a tradition we had started where we would see the lights while out on other Christmas activities. Oh, well. A report I read says they have been doing renovations on the displays, so I'm sure the people who work on the model railroads would do an awesome job on that. I expect much of it to look almost like new. 

 

No river of lights yet

Tried taking daughter to River of Lights last night. However, parking lots were filled up and all cars were being routed to the zoo, where you would have to park and take a shuttle. 

Why they don't just use the parking lot for Tingley Beach about a block away, I have no idea. 

This year they started something new. A train ride with Santa. It's 30 minutes long. Of course, leave it to Abq. Only one train per day, not starting until next weekend, only on weekends and all rides are sold out already. Same wonderful planning as usual for this city.

We'll try going to the River of Lights next weekend, after the Twinkle Lights parade. Just hope that enough people are still involved in the parade or hanging around to shop at Nob Hill so the traffic is down a bit. 

We painted the front window today. I got on the roof to put up lights. 

Daughter went through some of her old toys, picked out a number of them she doesn't play with any more to give to other children. She said she's more concerned with what she's giving to others than what she's getting this year. I'm really proud of that girl! 

Still problems

I'm still having a little problem with the lower dentures. Two spots on my lower gums have protrusions, natural shape of my jaw. When I wear the lower dentures, it rubs sores on those spots. Seems to be getting better. The swelling hasn't completely resolved but it's only been too weeks since teeth were pulled. Tissue still filling in. 

I'll still keep wearing the lower dentures to eat and for shorter periods than the uppers. If the problem continues I'll make an appointment in Jan to have adjustments made. I would prefer waiting until later, then just get any adjustments needed to the next, more permanent set of dentures. By then my gums will be fully healed and no swelling left. I still have problems chewing. The dentures don't meet as flatly as I expected. The lower ones are tilted inward, so only the outer edges meet the uppers. That's something to get corrected with any later dentures. That's the dentures, not my jaw shape.

Took the turkey out of the oven last night and put it back in this morning, along with the stuffing. Should be almost done by the time daughter and I get back after I pick her up. Then just have to make a few smaller things.

 

Too slow

Today was the slowest day I remember since starting this job. Only 39 cases today. There were less than 800 calls that came in to the company all day. Though one caller can have multiple cases, generally it was just one today. There were over 40 reviewers on early in the day, so I guess I'm lucky I had as many cases as I did.

Oh, well. When it's that slow, they pay hourly pay, so no loss. I think next year they should reduce the number of reviewers on duty. 

Getting most of the cooking done for tomorrow now. Doing a few things slightly different.

I covered the top of the turkey with bacon after marinating it since yesterday. It's in the oven now. Probably cook it part way tonight and finish it tomorrow. Since I like leftover turkey, I got a 19 lb turkey. Going to love the look on her face when she sees that!

Made gluten free stuffing, ready to toss in the oven tomorrow.

Since daughter said she likes cornbread, I made some just for her. It does have gluten. I can't eat it but gluten does give it better texture. Made it with butter, a little onion powder and honey. 

Her choice of pie was chocolate cream. I figured that's okay, since she probably had apple and/or pumpkin at her mother's and the step-grandmother's house. So I made it with a gluten free brownie crust and Hershey's chocolate pudding. That should come out really good. 

A few finishing touches tomorrow and we'll have a good dinner. 

Slept late

I got to sleep late this morning. That felt good.

Still signs I'm getting sick. Sinus infection, low level. Thing I've always been most prone to, my whole life. I don't think it's anything contagious. I've been doing things which have caused me to breathe in a lot of dust, both inside and outside. Vacuuming leaves yesterday didn't help. That throws off a lot of dust. Next time I do that I'll have to wear a mask. 

I'm working today but not scheduled to start until 10 AM. (Have to log on at least 10 minutes before then to bring up all the necessary programs.) It was a trade-off. Work today and I get Christmas Eve off. 

Not much planned today but work, then more house cleaning and cooking tonight. 

Better

So, the way I felt earlier had little or nothing to do with the dentures. Pretty sure I'm getting sick. True to form. It seems like an annual tradition for me to get sick sometime during the holidays. If it's going to happen, I much prefer now over later.

Not nearly as energetic and productive as I had hoped to be today but I did get some things done. 

Vacuumed some leaves in front of the house. I think I'm much better off using the blower function first to get the leaves in a pile. But it did do a really good job of mulching the leaves. Reduced the leaves to a fraction of the space. Which means they'll compost much faster.

Got the front room in more presentable condition. Be easy to get it set up for the Thanksgiving meal on Sat.

Made brownies. At least part of them won;t remain in brownie form. Going to break them up, mix them with butter and use them as a crust for the chocolate cream pie. That was daughter's choice of pie this year. Made gluten free cornbread. Going to try it later with dinner. Have the turkey marinating in the fridge. 

Planted some spinach, carrot, cilantro, cucumber and dill seeds in containers in the solarium. Only ones which may not grow are cucumbers. All the rest are cool weather crops. Broccoli sprouts are already gaining size that I may transplant them out to large containers soon. 

Not so much yet

Haven't gotten a whole lot done yet. Don't feel all that great. 

Part of it is that I'm finally trying to adjust to the lower dentures. Has to be done sometime. Preferably sometime when I don;t have to be on the phone the first day. I'm able to tolerate them but it's making me slightly nauseated. Keeping my jaw separated more than I have for a couple of years plus a bit of gum discomfort. Takes time to build tolerance to them. But at least I can handle them being in my mouth now, so a strong step forward.

What did not help the nausea was having to pick up dog crap. I made a big mistake in letting them have a treat of chicken parts night before last. I mix their dog food with mint and chlorophyll tablets, which keeps their stench down to a tolerable level. The chicken parts, not so much. Seems they tried to pack as much rancidness into that as they could. No, that's not imagination. Some animals have scent glands which emit musk. Dogs have anal glands which emit something quite different and can control how much punch their stink has. 

Finances may be a little tight for the next two weeks. Not horrible, since I have lots of food in the house. Just have to keep a handle on extraneous expenses. Cigarettes, gas and coffee are the biggest expenses on the needs list. Otherwise, spend a little money for holiday activities with daughter. 

After the holidays is when I need to get serious about building savings. Think I should be able to accumulate a reserve fairly quickly. I was able to build up money for the dentures in about two months time. Though I expect the utility bills to be considerably higher for a month or two. 

Okay, stomach has calmed down from the dog stench and gums feel better since taking some Naproxen. Need to get up and get a few things done.  

Late start

Getting a late start today. Not sad about that. Woke up at 9:30. Not too bad.

Stayed at karaoke until around MN last night. Didn't do so good on my last song by Bon Jovi but the tone was too high for me. Did pretty good an 3 Godsmack songs before that, though.

Got home around 12:30 and still had to take my medicine and eat. So it was around 2 when I went to bed.

Having lots of respiratory drainage this morning. Not sure if I'm fighting something off or it's just from all the smoke in the air from fireplaces. Oh, well. Took some medicine and drinking some coffee, then get to work on the house. 

Going to challenge myself to see how much of the house I can get in order today. I think it should be quite a bit. Then maybe patch some of the holes in the walls and ceilings. Or vacuum up some leaves. I may do the leaves because I have limited time I can do things outside while there's sunlight and it's supposed to be a nice day.  

Though I am not celebrating Thanksgiving today (daughter and I will have ours on Saturday), I still think of things I am thankful for. My daughter most of all. Roof over my head, food in the house, heat and electricity, clean water, a stable job. This year I was able to buy a large turkey and a small ham. There have been years that I was not able to have either one. There have been years where it was a Jennie-O frozen turkey roast (which sucked), chicken or even just hot dogs. I know I was still better off than some people. Though I can say that the years I had less make me appreciate more what I have right now. For a long time I had no electricity in the house except for generator power, which I could not run all the time. That meant the furnace wouldn't run because of the electric blower and control panel. It drew too much power for the generator and an electrical component was burned out. So, I'm happy to have electricity in the house. 

Going for a time with less is not a sign of failure, nor does it make you a bad person. In many ways it makes you a better person, stronger. It makes you more appreciative and empathetic to others in the same situation. 

Changed outlook

I was listening to some music I used to listen to a few years ago and enjoyed. While listening, I realized I still enjoy the way it sounds but no longer relate to the sentiment expressed.

Most of the songs I feel this way about express anger, depression, emotional distress or an emotional need which would imply compromises which I am no longer willing to make. Some of those songs are "Prayer" by Disturbed, "I Would Do Anything For Love" by Meatloaf. And others which express things which I have found I have successfully rejected.

There is absolutely no negative to this. What this reflects is a change in my being. It means I have reached a level of inner peace which I had striven for for most of my life. The things which held me back were the choices I made in my personal life which left me with pain, unresolvable anger, unmet emotional need, disappointment and some level of emotional desperation and definitely confusion.  

It took nearly 9 years of being alone and refusing to give in to more immediate emotional urges to purge myself of all the damage done by people in my past. I don;t hold anger at the people that did the damage. Obviously they were damaged themselves. The difference is that they did not want to heal. Instead, I feel ashamed of myself for remaining in situations which harmed me, too weak to walk away. I considered it being strong and loyal, when maybe it was just holding on with a white knuckle grip. Not aware that the support I held so fast to was dragging me under and pinning me down, crushing me.

Being alone isn't always easy. However, several years ago I made the absolute decision that I would not enter into another relationship which did so much damage to me. 

I really made that decision much earlier than that. My ex asked me while we were together what I would do if we broke up. My answer was that I would remain alone for a very long time, probably date but may never have another permanent relationship. 

To me, that is not a depressing thought. I so much prefer being alone than being with someone again that leaves me feeling lonely. Being lonely in a relationship leaves no hope. Being lonely while alone leaves the chance of temporary, short term, long term or permanent companionship which does not leave that huge empty hole in your soul. 

I've obviously spent a lot of time in the last few years meditating. How many people would come away with all of that from listening to a couple of songs? Maybe I could have reached something of this realization at an earlier date. However, while you can accelerate your intellectual knowledge, emotions move at their own rate. 

I still don;t know if I will ever be in another relationship. I've reached the point where I have more peace being alone. To be with someone, it would have to be someone who actually accepted me for who I am in all my complexity without trying to change me, simplify me or belittle me. Basically, it would have to be someone nearly as complex as I am. Really, I don't think I'm complex or difficult to understand at all. I just have a view that goes beyond myself, my past or concrete and unbending traditions far too outdated. Why is that complex?

Off early

The offer was made for people to get off work early today. I tossed my name in the hat and got off around 2 PM. I figured they will also be making that offer tomorrow due to slow calls. Since I'm working Friday, I get holiday pay. However, not if I take off early the day before the holiday. So, in the long run I still come out slightly ahead.

Besides, that gave me a chance with nice weather to get out and pull a bunch of dead flowers in the garden. Got all of the Cosmos pulled or chopped down. Many of those where 7 ft tall. Arms got a bit scratched up but glad I got it done. 

Went shopping for Thanksgiving. Rotten day for that. Since I had to buy $25 worth of other groceries to get the special price on the turkey and didn't really need that much, I got a cheap ham, also. Both taste good but the good thing about turkey is that it's cheap in season. Good thing about ham is that it's one of those foods that will probably survive Armageddon. 

Price of pork is still up. If it stays up like it is, looks like I'll just be making chicken tamales this year and no pork. Oh, well.

The temperature in the solarium went back up to 92 today. Since I was able to keep the door closed. 

Broccoli sprouts are coming up. I figure on Thur one thing I'll do is get lettuce and spinach seeds started. Maybe some carrots and more potatoes, also. Can keep rotating crops in containers. The ones that had tomatoes in them can be used for some of those things, then rotate back to tomatoes again later.  
 

18 degrees

So, both Accuweather and the thermometer on the outside window agree. 18 degrees this morning. 

I don't think the dogs ever went in the solarium. Last night before bed, I went out, held the dog door open and told them "inside" many times. They wouldn't go. Instead, stood there, wanting to be petted more. 

So, of course this morning they hear me moving around and try to tear down the back door. 

Basically, if they don't have to destroy something to get into the solarium (or the back door), they don't want to go. They would rather stay out in the 18 degree weather. 

I've mentioned the temperature inside the solarium, which is 36-40 degrees at night. However, I left part of that statement out. The thermometer is behind the space heater. In front of the space heater (which reflects off of a Mylar covered wall), the temperature directly in front of the heater is probably 70-80 degrees. That's right at dog level. There is also a cinder block there, placed to keep the dogs from running right into the heater, which retains heat but not enough to burn them if they contact it. 

Daytime temps have been averaging about 80 degrees inside the solarium. But that has mostly been with the door open. Thanks to the dogs. I'll have to see how that goes today. I'm leaving the main door locked from the inside. I'll see if they decide to use the dog door to get to their water, which is inside so it doesn't freeze. 

Inside the house, it's actually getting a bit more comfortable. The tarps may not be that attractive but are serving their purpose. Since the air isn't migrating so much, each area is building more heat in the thermal mass of each room, which is a cumulative effect. 

I'm actually happy with the thought of having Thur off and getting the house in better order. I think I can get the whole house looking considerably better in that one day. If I work on any major construction projects, it will only be after cleaning and arranging. 

More pissed off

All day long has been a battle with the dogs, who keep opening the solarium door. I have been nice about it until now, verbally correcting them and closing the door again. Obviously, they think it's a game. 

This is not a game. Tonight is supposed to be one of the coldest nights so far this winter. I replaced the wire with a heavier one. I think what I'm going to have to do is go out the opposite door and put another attachment on the inside, where they can't reach it from the outside. 

If all of that fails, I will have to attach an electrical cable to the wire, so that if the even put their mouth on it they will get a serious jolt. The other option is letting them keep opening the door, releasing all the heat and then not having a place to stay warm. Since there is a very easily opened dog door for them to get through, there is no reason for them to keep opening the main door. I have seen both of the dogs go through the dog door, so I know there is no problem with it. I also check the door frequently, to make sure they haven't done anything which impedes the movement. Now I'm sick of the battle. I am not getting out of bed at 3 AM to make sure they haven't screwed things up again. 

The cold is making me lazy. Not feeling like doing a whole lot tonight. Then again, I realized that I have Thur off and daughter will be at her mother's and the new family. So, can get a lot done that day. 

Seriously stupid dogs

These dogs are just pissing me off now. They have managed to open the main door to the solarium by pulling the wire loose which holds it closed. The result is that the door swings open. That releases any solar gain and leaves the whole thing open to the weather. Last night the result was that the wind blew out the pilot light to the gas heater. The pilot stops releasing gas once the sensor cools down. Which meant the solarium dropped below freezing. Dogs are fine. Plants, not so much. 

These are the same dogs who cannot figure out with much prompting how to use the dog door, which only requires they push it with their noses. 

Dumb..as..dirt!!

I'm afraid to put another wire higher up where they can't each because they would probably tear the door apart. 

Dead fish

My daughter's Betta fish died today. I'm really sorry to see that happen. Not sure what caused it. I've been changing the water frequently and cleaning the bowl thoroughly. 

My daughter cried about the fish. I'm torn up to see her cry. However, there is an up side to that. With other animals, she has shown signs of stress and sadness but has not cried. That was something which worried me. She thinks very rationally, trying to make sense and accept things as they are. However, I have worried about her keeping her emotions inside too much. While I don't want her to cry, I was happy to see her doing so just for what it signifies. That she is becoming more in touch with her emotions. That she is able to let emotions out and not hold them in until they cause damage. 

I know what damage that can do. 

Yesterday the weather was decent and we went to a nearby open space for a while. Today we made some ornaments from clay. Let them dry this week and paint them next weekend.

She is getting better at artwork all the time. Now she's drawing dragons and doing an awesome job with them. She picked up an interest mainly from some books she's been reading. It's amazing watching her skills develop over time. 

Still not able to wear my lower dentures. Too sensitive. But the tissue is filling in and healing, so hoping I'll be able to wear them by next weekend, when daughter and I will have our Thanksgiving. My lips are still dry and cracked, adjusting to my face being more filled out than the last few years. Obviously, not done yet because the process will continue after I can wear the lowers. Oh, well. Few more weeks and my body should adjust. I may be also fighting off minor infection from food particles getting into the gum tissue. That's getting better, too. 

Weather supposed to turn colder again tonight, stay that way for a few days, warm up again and then drop even more next week.

Still having to go with temporary actions to keep different parts of the house warm because of heat migration. If I can isolate various rooms, I can focus on keeping the rooms in use warmer and not have to keep the rest of the house as warm at the same time. With the house being so open, I have to heat much larger spaces. So, using tarps and mover's blankets for now. I can get something more esthetic later. I also taped a tarp over the air conditioner in the big living room. Stopped the cold air leaking in there. Definitely feeling a difference, even with today being as windy as it was. Good thing about the tarps is that they can be reused elsewhere when I replace them with something more attractive. 

Nice night

Had a nice night at karaoke. There were a total of four of us that met at the place. One didn't sing but she's a nurse, so we had a good conversation. Much as we could. It was too loud to talk much and hear each other. 

I cannot claim I sang my absolute best. Been so long since I've sung on a regular basis that my vocal cords are out of shape. Yes, that's a thing. Hit a few very slightly strained notes. Think I'll have to stick with easier songs until I'm used to it again. 

I'm hoping the group grows slightly and gets together more in the future. 

It did surprise me when I got up to leave that everyone else did, too. I had to go because I needed sleep before picking daughter up this morning. Not sure why everyone else left so early. Maybe just because the rotation had grown so long. 

Happy to say I am seeing the effects of slowly getting the house in better shape. It makes me feel better just looking around. And as I get one area straight, it is finally easier to get other areas straight. For the longest time, It was really just shifting things form one spot to another. Now I'm finally establishing places to keep things. But that simply wasn't possible until I had built enough shelves and such. But now I need to thin things out a bit. I have lots of stuff which is no longer needed.  

Didn't have to do much house cleaning this morning because I got it done last last, for once. I swept and mopped most of the house last night. Just had to mop the big living room this morning. Unsealed brick. (To seal it, I have to rent a concrete sander and buy a diamond pad. That will be one of the noisiest and dustiest jobs yet. Move everything  out of the room, sand, vacuum, seal and move everything back. That's a big one.) Now, if I can just keep the house this clean and keep moving forward..

Karaoke!

I am going to karaoke tonight. Already took a bath, shaved. Going to sweep and mop before I go. Not staying there too long, maybe until MN.

Unfortunately my lower dentures still won't fit. One spot on my gums still to sore and won't take the pressure from them. But I honestly still look better than I did for a long time. Got used to being tight lipped for so long to hide my teeth, shouldn't be too hard to hide just the bottom for now. 

Been keeping an eye out for Christmas events but the earliest anything is starting this year is next weekend and many things not until the following weekend. I think daughter and I may just make clay ornaments, gingerbread men and stuff like that this weekend. 

Thinner than planned

Looks like Christmas is going to be a little thinner than I had planned on. And all my shopping will be done after my check on 12/12/14.

Not what I had hoped for. Work slowed down and there hasn't been any OT available. Probably not going to pick up again until Jan. I won't fall below my base pay. The company is good about that. If the cases just aren't coming in, they will pay hourly rate instead. Your pay only drops if you aren't processing cases fast enough or spend too much time doing documentation after calls. I'm good on all of that. 

I could be wrong. The company merges with another company the first week of Dec, which is supposed to increase business a lot. Have to wait and see. 

I am feeling slightly guilty from spending money on the insulation and dentures. However, I've put those things off for years and they really needed to be done. 

I do have a 401k account. I may check on what it would take to borrow from that. Just until Jan or Feb. Not much, just a couple hundred. Can also defer payment on the electric and gas for Dec, since they're up to date. Best bet is to plan ahead what I'm getting people, so I can order some things the morning of the 12th. 

Already slowing

Thanksgiving is a week away and work is already slowed down. I knew it would. People were wishing me "Happy Thanksgiving" last week. So, if it's slowing down already now, by next Wed it will be completely lethargic.

Wasn't able to wear the lower dentures during the day but wore them for a couple of hours this evening. Swelling went down enough for them to fit. Still a couple of sore spots which preclude chewing with them yet. However, hoping I can tolerate them enough to wear to karaoke tomorrow night. Going with some people from Meetup.com but not many people signed up so far. Only myself and two women. Hope they're nice. 

Slowly getting the house in some form of order. Slowed down by the lack of daylight because it's getting dark by the time I get off work. I need to install a wireless light in the shed. That would give me the opportunity to get some things moved out there. Until then, I'll just have to get some things outside done on weekends and within the range of the outdoor lights I do have.

I think I may have a low level infection in my system. Had a nagging backache for a couple of days and doesn't go away with popping my back. That's usually a sign I have some infection. Usually just goes away without anything but other times just a first sign of an illness coming on. Aside from that, I don't feel bad. Hope it stays that way. 

Above freezing

Well, the gas heater kept the temperature above freezing in the solarium last night. Who knows? Maybe the tomatoes will come out of dormancy if it gets warm enough in there during the day. I still need to get some more (less durable) plastic sheeting for an internal layer to retard heat loss at night.

I started some broccoli seeds inside last night. If they sprout decently, I'll transfer them to containers in the solarium. Also start at least one long planter of lettuce. Probably another of spinach. All those will grow under 50 degrees. 

Potatoes are still growing. One plant especially. Leaves on a couple got frost damage but seem to be okay. 

Fire burned out in the fireplace last night, after all. Not enough ashes for a base to keep them going. Oh, well. Think I'll be building a few fires there this winter. 

Heat

Well, got off my tail and got the gas space heater set up in the solarium. Mostly for the dogs. Should be cheaper to run than the electric one. And less likely to be chewed up by them. I only have it set to the lowest setting but puts out a lot of heat. Now, let's see if the dogs are smart enough.. Yeah, I'm not counting on that.

Inside, I built a fire in the fireplace tonight. The living room has been pretty cold and I couldn't figure out why. Then I realized that while it's insulated, there is no real active heat source in here. So, built a big fire to heat up the thermal mass of the fireplace and the room. One good fire heats the thermal mass enough to last a couple of days. I used some wood from the back yard but then added scrap wood from around the table saw. Just pieces too small to be of that much use. The embers should smolder all night. I think this was the biggest fire I've ever built in this fireplace.

Got the table saw moved back into the work shop. So there was scrap wood where I was moving it from and where I'm moving it to. Still a bit of cleaning to do in the front room. Get that done tomorrow. 

One more day my gums were too swollen to wear the lower dentures. They fit now but can't take any pressure yet. At least they fit. I think I should be able to tolerate them by tomorrow evening. I may try them in the morning but if they impact my speech too much I'll just put them in tomorrow evening and keep doing that and on the weekend until I'm accustomed to them. It's an adjustment. Used to be they didn't even fit you for dentures until at least 6 weeks after extractions, so I'm still ahead of the old curve. Had some cramping in my jaw today where the two teeth that still had any anchor remaining once were. Not bad. Naproxen fixed the pain. I know it's because the bone in those spots is healing but it was still annoying to have cramping start five days after my teeth were pulled. Oh, well.

I think getting my teeth pulled is starting to improve my health. Not a surprise there. If my body was attacking my teeth as a foreign objects, it has probably been throwing toxins into my bloodstream. In any case, not being able to chew properly has had an effect. So, this was the last and one of the biggest steps physically in what I had declared my "year of healing". I feel different from prior to last week. More relaxed, though some of that leads to being tired. But not in a bad way. Of course some of that is from my gums healing. Having that many teeth pulled is a big adjustment for the body, even if a positive one in the long term. 

I've finally gotten tired of being alone and celibate. Still doesn't mean I want to jump into a relationship headfirst. I've been posting on single's sites but no good responses. Most of the women responding to me either weight twice what I do or look like they could be my mother. And/or they expect to have a relationship by the end of the first date. Looking for something platonic doesn't work out any better. So, I guess I will go ahead and start getting out for karaoke, socializing a little bit and/or just looking for lovers. 

On the other side of that, I have been solitary for so long that it takes an effort to get out again. I've become a bit agoraphobic. Most of it is just a strong disdain for drama and dependency. I've written before how people here don't believe in emotional partnership, only dependency and ownership. There's no attempt at any form of balance and I can't stand it. The only way I could go for something like that would be in a very specific form. Which I may pursue once the house is further completed if nothing else positive comes along before then. 

One pumpkin

Yesterday, I picked the one single pumpkin that successfully grew this year. Squash bugs and grasshoppers killed most of the vines this year. I had two other vines growing about 5 pumpkins when freezing weather hit and they never matured. The one pumpkin is in a window to ripen. Not sure it will even ripen before Thanksgiving.

So, did the dogs use the solarium? Doesn't appear so. It's a few degrees warmer this morning than the last few days. I spent time showing them how to get into and out of the solarium through the dog door. Showed them the heater in the solarium to let them know it was warm. So, this morning it seems what they learned was that they want to be where I'm at. Whining and scratching at the back door. So, the electric space heater was a waste of money to run all night. I'll still set up the gas heater because it costs less. It's not abuse if you set up a warm place, teach them to use it and they don't do so. It's definitely large enough. They have over 100 sq ft they can access in there. But they don't want to sleep any place that does not smell like feces and that is exactly why they are not coming inside the house. 

Need a nipple

Kind of tired. I'll move the table saw tomorrow night. 

Tried setting up the gas space heater in the solarium. But the gas pipe to the solarium has a female connection and so does the heater hose. So I need to get a steel pipe nipple. Try to get to the hardware store tomorrow after work. 

Until then, I have the electric space heater set up closer to the dogs. I think I finally taught them to go inside the solarium. I hope. Even though they are extremely stupid I don't want them to get sick from the cold. 

Still just a little too much swelling to wear the bottom dentures today. Had to do with just the top. Lisp is getting better. Not sure how wearing the bottom will change that. Hopefully improve it. My jaw definitely gets tired. Been a long time since I had to keep my jaws separated that much. Plus less space in my mouth. Basically retraining myself to speak. But I don't sound like Humphrey Bogart any more. 

Not much else to write. Taking a bath and getting to bed.

Cold again

Back down in the teens this morning. Still bummed about the tomato plants. 

Since the temperature isn't going high enough in the solarium during the day now, I'm not getting much use out of the heat pump system. So, the money I spent on that is wasted so far. Though I do know that's temporary. 

One problem is that the solarium isn't getting enough sun. The trees to the south haven't lost all their leaves yet, so casting a shadow. I'm gaining less heat than I was a few weeks ago because of that. (I'm still trying to kill those trees off without killing the grape vine next to them.) 

Even if I get the solar gain I want, it's going to take more of an investment to set it up to have the heated air blowing under the floors. Simply because I have to use hard ducting instead of flex duct. The dogs would instantly destroy flex duct because they can reach it. Maybe by the end of January. I don't want to divert money from Christmas to that. 

It was a surprise that rearranging the living room for Christmas opened up a lot of space in the front living room. Not sure what I was thinking when I arranged it the way I did. 

I still need to get the table saw out of that room. I had it in there because I was doing a lot of large work. No longer the case. Now I have to clean off the table in the work shop and move it back. Do that tonight. That will open up more space and make it look nicer. 

The insulation has done some good. I went around and felt the ceiling and the walls. The ceiling is much warmer than the uninsulated cinder block walls. Now I have to figure out what to do with the side walls at some point. In a way which doesn't cost $10k. Seriously thinking about spray in solid foam. The price of it has come down in the last couple of years. It would cost a lot but would actually add strength to the walls in addition to the insulating factor. Also be relatively easy, no special machines and could be done gradually instead of all at once. Sounds like the best option. But because of temperature it has to be done in summer. And I have to do a test column, figure out if it will work at all and, if it will, how many cans it will take. Wish I could get a huge tank of it. 

Stuff to do. Gotta get moving.

End of growing season

Well, looks like the growing season is pretty much done. It dropped below freezing in the solarium last night. Tomato plants took damage. Think I need another layer of plastic sheeting. Or get some auxiliary form of heat going. The potatoes are still growing and I'm sure the tomato plants just went dormant. They'll start growing again if I can keep the temperature above freezing. 

I need to look in my seeds and see if I have any broccoli seeds, maybe lettuce. They might survive the temperatures in the solarium right now. Otherwise, most things are a bust until late winter. I can use the solarium to get seeds started early for spring.

Had to keep my lower dentures out during work today. Still too much swelling for them to even fit. Seems to be going down. Not much pain but still have a lisp, have to speak a bit slowly. Kinda sound like Humphrey Bogart. If he had sinus problems and grew up in Texas. 

Aside from that, doing pretty good with them. I have occasional short bouts of nausea but that is decreasing. Mostly due to sinus drainage. I still think I'll get the next set made shorter than these, so they don't affect the soft palate. 

If lower dentures will fit and I can speak without lisping, think I'm going to go to karaoke this Fri. Won't be drinking much alcohol, mostly soda. Just want to start getting out again.  

I put a profile up on a couple of dating sites again. Only to be reminded of why I had taken them down. I've had replies from women seeking confirmation, dependency and conflict. One woman accused me of being a sadist, while she posted insulting comments about various people and tried very hard to offend me. I told her if she wants a true sadist to look in the mirror. Then told her to never message me again. Yeah, I may seek out friends, may seek out lovers but not immediately looking for any kind of commitment. Too afraid of what I could wind up with that I wouldn't want.

We had another Neighborhood Watch meeting tonight. This time with a sheriff and NW rep there. It went really well. A couple of the most radical people were thankfully absent. Then again I'm sure they're well associated with the sheriff's department.. So, things are moving forward. 

Thankful

Temperature outside this morning is 16 degrees or lower. Supposed to be colder tonight.

In light if that, I can think of a umber of things to be thankful for this year.

I'm thankful enough to have a roof over my head, food and heat. My house may not be perfect but it's mine and I'm happy for having it.

Some things have taken some work but have gotten better over time. Still, I'm thankful for the knowledge, health and resources to do that work, along with just having those things. My pipes aren't frozen. It wasn't that long ago (two years) that I would go to work and worry all night when it got really cold. I knew in best case, I would have no water for several hours until the pipes thawed. In worst case, a pipe would burst and I would have a geyser in the back yard, which I would then have to work in, get wet and spend hours working to replace the broken pipe. 

The house still has some minor drafts here and there. But a lot fewer than there once were and the insulation has helped tremendously. So has closing off the crawl space vents and erecting the solarium. Current drafts require moving furniture, cleaning and caulking, which will only take an evening and less than $10 to fix. Couple of others some sewing to make door draft blocks. Best I can do until I re-do some floor sections. 

I'm thankful I have a running vehicle. The heater doesn't work and I need to do something about that. But still better than past situations I've been in. 

I have clothes to stay warm. I've always managed that one but still happy for it.

I have electricity. Few years ago I didn't have that, couldn't run the furnace or electric space heaters. Could not run the fridge and kept frozen food in ice chests outside to avoid spoilage. 

I have a new concrete ramp and nobody fell through the old front step to be harmed before I replaced it. Won't be fully completed until spring now but it's solid, permanent and safe. 

So, shelter, water, heat, food and safety plus stable employment which I enjoy. And most of all a daughter whom I love with my entire being who is smart, funny, beautiful, cheerful and happy. Aside from her, I am alone but have learned to not be lonely. I may still hate New Mexico but have never had so much all at the same time. 

Christmas Tree

Daughter and I put lights on the tree and put up more lights today. Put the ceramic village under the tree. She wanted to wait and put the ornaments on the tree later. I think she's trying to extend the decorating process over the holiday season. 

Past couple of years or so, I've had so much going on with renovating the house that decorations went up really late. This year I got started early. But that will give us the chance to do more things like making ornaments and gingerbread men, decorating the wooden gingerbread house we didn't complete last year. I think we'll make clay ornaments this year instead of dough. The ones we made of dough have mostly broken over time. I'd rather have some which will last until she grows up and can pass down. 

I just gave my lower gums a rest today. I'll wear the lower dentures tomorrow for speech purposes but probably not for eating. Still keeping to a soft diet for now. Pretty sure I'll be able to speak clearly enough for work tomorrow but know it will wear me out for a couple of days.

I am trying to wear the dentures as much as possible, if only the top denture. Just trying to recondition my facial muscles and lips. Plus there is a process of learning how to speak with them in place. I admit my mouth gets really tired from having them in for now. I don't think that should last too long. Still, I ordered some cushions for the bottom. Don't need them for the top. I am still learning individual tricks I need for adhering them. Some rules may be universal but with some differences.

The temperature outside was 39 degrees. Inside the solarium, it reached 88. So, a gain of almost 0 degrees. Sadly, not enough that the solar heat pump would work on a thermal switch yet. I need to install a reflector (I'll use Mylar) and another layer of film. That should both increase the heat captured during the day and decrease heat lost at night. 

Had to attach a new tarp on the north wall today, to replace one the dogs tore up. There are still some draft areas here and there which I'm getting closed up little by little. I may not get all of them completely closed this winter. My best bet is going to be strips of flexible rubber, like cutting up some floor mats and attaching them where I can't do much to attach the film directly to the walls. For now, I have the film as tight as possible. Each step now has a measurable effect. 

Other things coming into play this week. I need to do something with the dead stuff in the garden. Have to vacuum up the leaves. There's a Neighborhood Watch meeting tomorrow night. Meanwhile, I want to get the ceiling holes closed up before Thanksgiving. Even if not painted yet, I want the holes closed. 

 

Progress report

Kind of getting used to the dentures, kind of not. Had to remove them early last night. Tooth sockets are fine. Problem is bulges on the sides of lower gums where teeth used to be. Dentures have rubbed small ulcers in those spots and can't stand any pressure. The bulges are shrinking. Top denture is okay. It's my understanding most people have more problems with lower dentures than uppers. Probably because of the shape. There are things to adjust to with the uppers but just conditioning and learning, no pain. 

Daughter and I started decorating for Christmas last night. Slowed down a bit because I had to wash the artificial tree and it was still wet. We can decorate that this morning. 

After sleep

Woke up this morning, no severe dental pain. Didn't wake in pain during the night. That was one apprehension. Just discomfort. These dentures feel rather large in my mouth. I suspect they may make initial dentures intentionally large on purpose to accommodate for tissue swelling but I didn't have that much swelling. At least, the bottom denture feels large. The top has a good suction seal and doesn't move. Though I think with the permanent denture I'll have them trim a gap in the back. It covers part of my soft upper palate, making it more difficult to swallow. 

I did feel really tired last night. Of course, part of my body was altered, which can cause fatigue. 

Slowly adjusting. Still talking with a lisp. That may take a while to get past. 

Wish I could win the lottery and afford permanent dental implants. 

Temperature didn't get too cold last night. That was only a short reprieve. Starting tomorrow and for several days the highs stay in the 40's and lows for my area drop into the teens. Wonder if the dogs will get it into their heads to use the solarium at that point? I'm still not bringing them in the house. I have a place where they can stay warm. Not dealing with risk of daughter's asthma, the damage they would do and the poop they would drop everywhere. 

Guess just because I'm logical, I don't really see the attraction to dogs. They destroy things, stink, require loads of attention.. People spend many thousands of dollars to protect floors and carpets from stains from dogs, have to clean up hair all the time, often deal with excessive barking, alter/negate/make special and expensive travel plans, pick up poop, spend many hours paper training them, run the risk of the dog biting someone, sometimes the risk of their own children being mauled to death.. All to have the dog lick their hand and wag their tail? I know, some people think I'm a bad person for my views but I just don't get it. Truth is, I find it all too narcissistic in many cases. In other cases, I see pathological emotional imbalance. Some people who defend animals are willing to reject human beings and even harm or kill. (I'm all for protecting animals but not attack or kill other humans.)

Looks like my healing time has become longer in general and permanently. At least, normal for someone in their 30's. I think a large part of that has to do with the dry environment. I can't tolerate bandages and ointments to retain moisture all the time, so any little wounds I have dry out and heal more slowly. I think I would still heal a lot more quickly in a higher humidity environment. I am leaving the cat bite out of that statement. Animal bites into a joint always take a long time to heal and many, if not most people require antibiotics for them. Some even need surgery. Least my immune and healing abilities haven't reached that point. Then again, maybe it's more the whining factor. I make observations and have legitimate concerns but don't whine and run to the doctor because of something which just needs time to heal. I just watch closely for worsening infection and damage.  

Guess I should get up and do something useful.

All done

Been back from the dentist for a while now. The whole process only took 90 minutes. It was virtually painless. However, I am still waiting for the numbness to wear off and to stop drooling on myself. 

The worst part of the whole thing was driving there and back on Fri afternoon with Abq drivers. Ugh!

In this particular case, it turned out to be a good thing that all my remaining teeth were loose. There was very little left below the gum line holding them in. Only one had any real anchor in the bone. In the past, my teeth were so deeply anchored that they had to be cut into halves or even quarters to pull them. The fact that they were worn away below the gum line proves absolutely that the problem was metabolic and nothing to do with hygiene. The only thing besides metabolic issues which destroys teeth below the gum line is infection. There was no infection present and no bone damage which indicated past infection. Basically, my body either attacked or consumed the toot enamel. 

Happy that's done. The dentist did not give me a prescription for pain reliever. However, with no infection or inflammation and not much tissue damage because the teeth were loose, Naproxen should be enough. Didn't need anything stronger when I pulled my own teeth and I didn't have dentures to exert pressure then. 

Just hanging out at home tonight. On a liquid diet and not sure how I'll feel when the local anesthesia wears off.  

I may not look as bad this weekend as I thought I would. But it's still going to take a while to get used to these. Think I may have a slight lisp until I do get used to them.

The duct fan arrived while I was waiting for the dentist appointment. I had just enough time and installed a rough version of the improvised solar heat pump system. On the down side, shortly after I installed it the sky clouded over and it didn't do much good today. Oh, well. I actually think the fan may move too much air. So, I may have to install a dimmer switch and/or some poly fill in the duct to slow the air flow down, giving it more time to heat up. I know I'll be adding more ducting later. Mostly to run under the house but may add more to the ceiling to capture more heat. I'll wait and see how it does on a sunny day, first. 

Nap

So, casting for dentures is done. These days they take the casting, make the dentures, pull the teeth and insert dentures immediately. Wasn't sure how I felt about that at first but makes sense. Probably decreases pain (because of being able to bite down and exert pressure), less bleeding and less risk of infection. Better than having open tooth sockets. 

Picked up more ducting, connection, clamps and a new winter coat. The Walmart on the other side of town actually had the coats in stock, which the one over here did not. This store is strictly ghetto. 

Good news- Tracking says the duct fan is on the truck for delivery. I'm shocked! Not nearly as much since it's Fedex. UPS is the worst one about placing your shipment in a warehouse for as much as a week to intentionally delay delivery. That way you'll pay for faster shipping next time. (Yeah...NOT!!) If I can avoid it, I defer from having anything shipped UPS.

Been considering how to install the outdoor outlet in the solarium. Slightly problematic placement. Finally decided to anchor a board to the wall, run cable up the side and place the outlet on the face. Sometime much later I can run underground cables for outlets in other paces outside. That takes some digging because they have to be at least 18" deep. Think I'll go 24" for safety. Also needs special conduit and cable for underground installation. I'll do that around the same time I install the front camera, which will need a lot of the same supplies and work. 

Okay, I'm taking a nap before the dentist.

Up early

Okay, I'm up early. Checked the bank. Deposit went in as it should. So, everything's a go!

I calculated pretty accurately. I have enough for dentures and to pay the bills and enough to live on for the next couple of weeks. Maybe enough to start Christmas shopping and carry something over to next payday. Need to order a new winter coat.

It's cold this morning. My pain tolerance is lower when it's cold. Broke out the long underwear and layered clothing. Still glad the actual extractions aren't until afternoon. 

Planning ahead, bringing the iPad and some Naproxen. Going to take the Naproxen before the extractions. Figure that would help a bit. I still expect to be drooling when I'm driving home. Ooo, me so sexy.

Stopped taking anything that could thin my blood a few days ago. Like Gingko. Think I'll stop that, any way. Having the opposite effect of what it should on me. Big surprise there. 

Denture Day

May seem obsessive to keep writing about this but when one has had the dental issues and related dietary problems and social embarrassment I have had for so long, this is a big thing. Of course, I am nervous. I have a high pain tolerance but this is still fairly extreme. Plus nausea can be an issue from both the dental work and the medication. And the money but I've planned well for that. Only thing I'm worried about there is that my pay be deposited on time. Usually does but there have been two times it was not. If that happens I'll be seriously pissed because it will be January before I can get the time and money to get this done.

I didn't wait to turn on the heater for the solarium this evening. Behind the heater, the temperature went down to 29 last night in there. Washed a load of laundry and going to run them through the dryer later, just before bed so the dryer heat goes into the solarium.

The tracking on the duct fan says it's now in Phoenix. If it was coming by USPS I would expect it tomorrow. Since it's coming Fedex, I expect no earlier than Monday. 

Not a bad day at work. But the program which seemed to be fading came back like a freaking beast today. Meanwhile, the company continues to make changes to that program to make it further resemble to original program which it is intended to replace. I am really not understanding this at all. The only conclusion I can reach is that the company has to pay some form of royalty to use the old program and they're trying to get away from it. Meanwhile, I am getting calls from people voicing complaints about the new way calls are handled and other callers are ranging from mildly frustrated to ragingly pissed off by the time they get to me. Why else would the company continue to be firmly behind a program which slows everything down at every level, increases bandwidth and makes people upset?

Still, I pulled in a few extra cases to make a little extra money. Not like a few months ago. I'm not making hundreds extra each pay period any more. But that's okay. My expenses have decreased over the last year. 

Something happened today which made me realize that just because I work at home they think my job isn't important. That's far from true. Every day I speak with doctor's offices from Hawaii to Maine and Florida. Most of my cases are routine and pure reflex. Those are where my money comes from. However, other cases can be extremely complex and require my full attention. In some cases I am speaking with cardiothoracic surgeons and in at least cases I have been speaking directly with neurosurgeons who are international legends in their field. If I am not paying attention it can mean wasted time, lives at risk and thousands of wasted dollars based on a two minute call. So, if the PNM guy has to wait a couple of minutes for me to get to the door for him to read the meter, that's just too bad. Not arrogance but priorities have to be maintained. (And it was not the PNM guy ringing the doorbell 4-5 times inside of 10 minutes. It was my next door neighbor. I have explained to him before that I could be fired for noise or interruptions during my calls.) So, I was rather pissed. 

Going to get to bed early tonight. Have to wake up early and be at the dentist office early in the morning. 

Less than 22

So, Accuweather says the temp is 22, so it's probably around 12 degrees in my immediate area.


I haven't gone outside yet to check things out. Inside, the insulation has made a difference. When it gets this cold, historically parts of the house would be quite cool even with the furnace running. Not the case now. It is a bit cool but the night setting is low and the furnace is warming the house to daytime setting. 

Other things I've done in the past are working. Nearly every time the temperature dropped this low before, I was without water. It's running fine now. 

Someone made a comment last night I was happy for. I had forgotten to drain the well pump tank, which would have burst last night. Drained it before it froze.

Dogs are still too stupid to use the solarium to keep warm. Guess they're okay because I hear them barking. Can't do much more than provide a warm place, point it out repeatedly to them and try to get them inside it. They wouldn't go. I think it smells too nice for them now. Not bringing them in the house. Tried that before and it did not go well. 

Okay, have to go feed them and get ready for work.
 

Hard freeze

So, the weather forecast tonight is for a hard freeze. The temperature is already 29 degrees according to Accuweather. Which means it's colder here. I'm guessing the true low for the south valley tonight will be in the teens. 

I'm going to get another outdoor thermometer for outside the solarium. It's very possible I was right about the temperature last winter and it did go below 0 degrees around my house. It's just not recorded properly. Recorded metro temperatures went down to 9 degrees and the valley is often 10 degrees colder than other metro areas. 

I'm glad I moved the cinder blocks into the solarium. Even though they weren't in there the whole day yesterday, it seems they helped maintain the temperature last night by another 5-6 degrees or more. 

May have made an error. Today was rather cool. I left the door to the solarium open so the dogs would be more likely to explore and start using it. They didn't and leaving the door open kept the temperature from building as much as it has been. Topped off at 88. I turned the radiant heater on high and oscillating, to reach all the plants. 

Last couple of days my allergies have been really bad. I have to figure it's either from dry air or (more likely) smoke from neighbors fireplaces. I don't know what they're burning but I can tell some of them are not burning clean wood. I kept the window open last night for the temperature but that probably let in the smoke, also. Think I'll run the humidifier tonight and close the window. 

I've been venturing out into the online dating world again. And once again being reminded just how disheartening that can be. Unbelievable how out of balance most people are. But there is a new karaoke group forming which I intend to try out. 

Just going to start getting out more often. Including joining a fitness center. Definitely need that. Working at home the last nearly 1 1/2 years has started taking a toll. More so with winter coming in. I admit, I'm out of shape. Need to deal with it.

Cooler than forecast

The forecast for last night was for 39 degrees. Just for safety, I turned on the heater in the solarium. Now glad I did. Temp this morning online says 33 degrees. That's measured in another part of town and it gets colder here than where they measure it. So, I'm guessing it went into the 20's here. 

Supposed to get considerably colder tonight. Even the high today is only 54. (I know. To people further north that's tropical at this time of year.)

The dogs are still too stupid to go inside the solarium. The only time they try to go in there is if they try to crap in there. I finally eliminated their odor. Too a while for the things I applied to oxidize their odor but it did work. The heat has apparently helped. But obviously they only want to hang out where they have their territory marked. No poop smell, they stay out.

Guess I won't have the duct fan before Fri. Tracking shows it hasn't even been picked up yet. Just a label created on Mon evening, after shipping hours. Oh, well. I'll pick up more flexible ducting from Home Depot on Fri. The dentist office is right next to Home Depot.

On Fri, they take the casting for dentures in the morning, then do the extractions and dentures in the afternoon. So, I'll have a few hours in between to knock around. I haven't had a day like that in.. years! Guess I'll wander around and just do something for fun. 

Gotta go feed the furs and fins. 

Here comes winter!

Temperature today was decent, around 70. Obviously NM is lucky for the moment on that. Supposed to drop a bit by tomorrow night but nothing like areas around us. Most of the cold is staying to the north and east of here. 

Still not feeling too energetic but for a known reason. That may improve in a little while. 

I moved about 20 cinder blocks into the solarium today to try and gain more thermal mass. I think that and another 10 or 12 will be enough for the rocket stove. 

With temperature dropping tomorrow, I think I'll go ahead and get the surface of the porch finished in the next hour or so. It will have time to harden and dry before the temperature drops low tonight. The existing thermal mass of the porch and the heat produced by the concrete will help, also. 

Okay, instead of sitting and writing about it, I went out and finished the surface of the porch. 

So, there's a down side to installing the insulation. I like the bedroom rather cold when sleeping. The insulation keeps the room warm with residual heat from the day. 

Got two nights left before the dental work Fri morning. Guess I better get the house cleaning done before then. I really doubt I'm going to feel much like it Fri night. 

Winter coming in

Temperatures dropping considerably this week. I'm hoping the duct fan comes in soon, so I can get the solar heat pump system in place. Solarium daytime temp was still 109 today but not expecting that to continue at that same level without more things in place to maintain it. 

So, I'll call the gluten challenge a failure. Nothing drastic today but joint aches and pains, decreased energy. Oh, well. I still enjoyed the hamburgers! Wish Burger King would carry gluten free buns.

Just kicking back and relaxing tonight and make up for it tomorrow.

Understandably, a lot of people scoff at the predictions I occasionally make. Like the ones I wrote last week since the election. However, I do have a track record. Back in April 2001, I predicted that the US would become engaged in a war which would involve many nations. That was 5 months before 9/11. I also predicted we would make enemies in the Middle East because of our opposition to Palestine. I predicted the fall of the US economy when we had the largest surplus in world history. And that it would take at least a decade to recover. I predicted different medical delivery systems. (I admit that one has yet to fully reach the level I predicted.) I predicted that recreational drugs would be legalized. (Still, not at the level I predicted just yet but heading that way slowly.) Some things have not happened that I predicted. At least not that we know of. Like an attempted and failed attack by terrorists on the water supply of at least one major city. (Could have been attempted but kept quiet.) 

I believe there were more predictions I wrote at that time but that's all I can recall right now. Not completely correct but not a bad track record, especially for the time I wrote them. A lot of people called me insane at the time. Honestly, I'm not looking so crazy now.

Heard some decent news. Planet Fitness is finally opening a location near me, just a couple of miles away. Think I'm going to join and get in better shape. I wanted a place closer to me because I sometimes work out to the point where I can barely function. I can drive but even a long drive can be difficult. When I do that I exhaust all of my body's resources for a while.   

Early to bed

Getting to bed early tonight. Already took Melatonin. I've given up hope on CSI now that it's on Sundays. Bummer.

Daughter and I directed traffic for the Air Dance performance today. She didn't want to watch the show. She wanted to read her book, instead.

I was really proud of her this morning. She woke up before me and when I walked in the living room, she was sitting there, TV off, doing her homework. Not a word needed from me. But I did tell her I am proud of her. How many kids do you know like that?

While she was reading, I set what was almost the last of the front porch. Still need just a little bit more. But I smoothed out one section and we set our hand prints in the concrete and I wrote our names and the year. 

On the way home, I got a bag of sand to complete the project. I have a bag of Portland cement. Can mix that with sand, level off the top and put the decorative gravel on top. I still need a couple more bags to set for esthetic reasons but the functional structure will be complete this week. 

I started applying the Mylar to the inside north wall of the solarium today. But the contact cement is too thick. Mineral spirits increased volume but didn't thin it out. Got some naptha on the way home.

Also got 25 ft of flexible vent. Ordered the fan and it should come in this week. 

Went ahead and tried the gluten challenge this evening. Got two Whoppers on the way home this evening. Not feeling anything bad so far. I have learned other things I have to avoid which could have been causing problems, if not gluten. Milk, eggs, peppers. And keep my meals smaller than I used to. Those may make a difference. I'll know by tomorrow. 

110

Solarium temp went up to 110 today. Low recorded last night was 46 but it was a fairly warm night. 

I went ahead and ordered the duct fan. Get the ducting next weekend. Want to get things in place so I can stop using the space heater for the plants. Silly to have a structure meant to save energy then use energy to heat that space. Actually, probably better to just get the ducting tomorrow evening and install it this week. Then the fan can just be installed when it gets here and take only minutes. Know I won't feel like any heavy work next weekend.

Daughter and I directed traffic for the air dance studio tonight. Rather slow performance this time around. I heard there's another, larger show on elsewhere which could be drawing attendees away. I've mentioned before that they need to be aware of other events going on before scheduling performances but I don't think the message got through. Their shows get good reviews but can't compete with national or international performance troupes. Good thing is that these performers aren't trying to make any real income for these shows. 

Daughter has been reading a lot. Picking up on fantasy novels. Funny, I started reading fantasy and sci-fi at about the same age. 

She's also consciously teaching herself to be able to read and walk at the same time. Interesting. I did the same thing, even going as far as skating while reading. The greatest benefits to that are that it expands awareness of the peripheral vision and conscious awareness of ones surroundings.

On the other hand, she has been reading a fantasy novel and watching TV tonight. Then at time for bed she wanted to work more on her homework. I told her no and explained why. She has come out several times telling me she's worried about it and it won't take long. I responded that that means it won't take long in the morning either. If she wants to work on it she should set the other book aside, turn off the TV and work on her school work. 

While I try to be nice there are times she tests me and I have to stand firm. I could let her stay up and work on it but I want her to learn responsibility. Not to mention respect for what I tell her and to not try to manipulate me. 

So, only a few more days until I get dentures. Warned daughter that next weekend I may look like I was in a street brawl. I don't usually experience a lot of swelling but with 9 teeth to pull and a thin face it will definitely show.

Predictions for 2015 and beyond

Now that the GOP took over the government by storm, I have predictions for the immediate years ahead.

I expect things to remain steady through Dec but then change will begin changing rapidly. 

First, employment which has seen steady growth for 6 months will see a sharp retraction. Partly due to seasonal jobs ending but also because other job growth will come to a complete halt. Especially jobs in medical and related fields. 

The newly empowered GOP will launch a new, full-scale assault on the ACA. Even the threat will cause drastic drops in the stock market. 

If the attack is successful, it will result in massive stock losses. Jobs will be lost, as will lives.

Food stamps and welfare will be cut even further than they have been. 

The result of that will be large scale protests, increased property and violent crime. In addition, food prices will increase, large scale grocery outlets will close. That will result in further stock losses and general market decrease.

The idea of an increased federally mandated minimum wage will be taken off the table or drastically reduced, enough to be basically meaningless.

Meanwhile, taxes will be reduced for the highest earners in a renewed claim of the "trickle-down" theory. While the same top "earners" continue to send jobs overseas.

Immigration reform will be thrown out the window in favor of large scale deportations and drastically increased border security.

There will be renewed attacks on marriage equality and retraction of rights already won in many states. 

There will be a virtual or complete ban on passengers coming from Africa in an attempt to control Ebola. As a result, what has been controlled will slowly fall out of control. Travelers wanting to leave Africa will go elsewhere, to less controlled countries. They will infect residents of other countries, who will travel to the US or come in contact with tourists who bring it back here. Because the people coming into the country will have no relation to Africa they may know of, that will delay diagnosis and result in greater rates of exposure. 

The GOP will strongly back Israel, which will embolden Israel against Palestine. The perceived (and real) abandonment and even backing of force against Palestine will give rise to stronger anti-US sentiments. It won;t be long after that when the effects will be felt here. 

Russia and possibly China will side strongly with Palestine. 

Basically, America just voted in Armageddon. 

Of course, all this could be wrong. However, that is if and only if one of two things turns out to be true. Either a large number of the GOP elected turn out to be a lot more Liberal than they appear. Or the American people stand up and refuse to follow along. My only hope would be the former. For the latter, Americans are sheep. They've proven this over and over again.