Better..kinda

Feeling better today than yesterday. At least I was able to breathe when I woke up this morning! Chest still feels tight and I have had some pretty bad coughing spams today but they did eventually pass. Still have to take a ton of stuff for allergies. The steroids won't control allergies, just inflammation.

Got up on the roof after work and changed the swamp cooler filters, changed out the water in the cooler as best possible. At the very least the air flow will be much improved. Same as every year, there was a huge buildup of cottonwood pollen on the old filters. I think next year I may wrap the whole cooler with nylon netting, which I can remove, spray down and replace. 

When I got the filters this time I bought a whole roll. Costs more but the blue filters last longer than aspen and can be descaled more effectively. Plus I have enough left over for another filter change.

Down side is that just getting up there and changing the filters was enough to wear me out. Steroids decrease tolerance to heat even more than being short of breath alone and it is really hot on the roof. Not to mention I never did eat an actual dinner last night. 

Okay, have to get off my butt. I do have a few things I need to get done tonight.

10:45- Got the dishes done, cooked some chicken to keep it from spoiling and ran to the store for coffee. Not much else tonight.

Between daughter and myself, I have spent more money on medical care this week than any single week I can recall at once. That's even with insurance and benefits. Not sorry for it, though. Very glad I had the money. Even my daughter looked at how much her ear drops cost and was shocked. Then her mother texted me about it. I assured her that the insurance covered a good amount and what was on the receipt was only what I paid. 

Oh, I take that back. I spent equal or slightly more than this week getting my cannabis license a few months ago. 

My battle against ignorance continues. Thankfully not alone. My tactics have changed to a more laid back approach. I still present logical, scientific, common sense or ethical arguments. However, when the hyper-aggressive attacks begin, I leave the discussion. Why? Because most of the people taking that approach are really only seeking conflict and nothing more. I say enough to get them riled up on purpose before backing off. They want attention. When they are simply ignored, they get frustrated. Then they start attacking people on their own side. I am known to check back on discussions, silently sitting on the wall so to speak. It's really amusing to watch them tear each other apart like rabid dogs (which they usually have the mentality level of to begin with). Happily, the right wing is losing many battles in short order. As a result, they are turning on each other. As each battle is won, more energy can be focused on the remaining major battles against them. Not to mention their confidence is badly bruised. The legitimacy of their arguments has always been deeply negotiable. 

Still sick

I eventually made it to work this morning. Rather late. Then learned I had a training meeting to attend. I was not late for that and for once I did not have any problem with attending training. I got to sit and listen, barely speaking. 

As to the subject of the training, the jury is going to be out for a little while. Changes in pay structure. They say most people will see an increase in pay but in my case I am expecting a decrease. Have to wait and see. There's a bonus program but the first bonuses (for employees) will not be until January. I really suspect there is a different bonus program for some upper management people who came up with this idea, based on how much they will NOT be paying out.

Any way, I continued having respiratory problems all day. Not quite as bad but mild struggling for breath, occasional coughing, sore throat, dizziness. It was bad enough that I called the MD line after work and got a prescription for steroids. For the very first time in my life. Went and picked those up and started them. 

Not much of an appetite tonight. You tend to not be very hungry when you can't breathe effectively. I'm sure all the medication I've been taking has not helped that particular situation. Just eating some potted meat because it's something I can digest easily. 

Before I got the steroids, I took the dog for a walk this evening. Had not felt like it for the last few days. So, in spite of how I felt, took the dog for a walk and exposed myself to even more cottonwood pollen, which was blowing everywhere. So, did that make the dog happy? Hell, no. In fact, since I took him for a walk, he has been whining for even more attention than before. While walking him, I stopped several times, coughing so badly I was doubled over. Did he look concerned, come up paying attention to me? Nope, came up and tried to get me to pet him. 

Yes, dogs are very loving creatures. Long as you count loving themselves.

The ex says daughter still has an earache. However, she has also been helping them to move, hauling boxes on a dolly up stairs all day. So she must be feeling better than she was. And showing how strong she is for a 12 year old girl. I do not have to worry about her being helpless! I do worry more about her not asking for help when she needs it but I think she is getting better about that. From what I can see. However, that is somewhat limited. 

Going to get to bed shortly. Respiratory problems really wear you out.

Late to work

I am starting work late this morning. Woke up with a seriously bad bronchitis attack. Could not speak two words without coughing up a lung.

This year is absolutely the worst I have had this in decades, maybe my life. Normally it goes away after an hour or so, with less major symptoms intermittently. Right now, this has been going on for about 5 days. Last week I had a sinus infection but that's gone. All allergies now.

Part because we have had more rain than any time since moving here. That has increased cottonwood pollen dramatically.

I do know I need to thoroughly clean the house to remove what pollen has blown in. 

Right now, I am taking Benadryl, Primatene, Zyrtec, Claritin, nasal spray and Sudafed PE. Sounds like a lot but not when you factor in two autoimmune disorders for which suppressing the immune system is normal treatment. I was thinking the other day that the autoimmune issues made the bronchitis worse. Now I'm thinking it's the opposite. Either way, when one gets worse the other also gets worse.

Maybe I should ask a doctor for something to suppress my immune system. 

I'll be written up for calling off first day after vacation. Not much I can do about it. Not staying out the whole day. Just waiting to be able to breathe well enough to talk without taking out someone's hearing. Getting there slowly. 

Last vacation day

Well, today was my last vacation day. Back to work tomorrow. Ambivalent feelings about that. Still like my job but have major issues with all the problems which are so predictable yet happen any way. And really not looking forward to listening to the rude people from the NE states. 

Oh, well. Not like anyone can avoid hatred, rudeness and stupidity. It's like a virus that keeps growing. 

I still keep trying to battle these things. So are others. I get discouraged at times but this last week showed strong indications that the efforts are paying off. The Supreme Court finally made a decision against the GOP case against the American Care Act. They won't stop trying but with this, any future efforts on their part is pretty much doomed. Not to mention public sentiment being against them. All their warnings have proven completely false (which was highly predictable, once again.) 

That decision was overshadowed by the Supreme Court legalizing same sex marriage. While I am straight, I have supported the right to same sex marriage for decades. 

The same week, North Carolina made the decision to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from the state capitol grounds. While part of my family comes from the South and I see the flag as a symbol of Southern pride, it has been used extensively as a symbol of racism for many years. It does not represent any standing government agency. In all ways, it has no place being displayed on any government grounds. Museums and private property, fine. 

These things and more demonstrate that we are evolving as a society. It gives me hope. 

However, only some battles have been won. The war rages on. It is so hard to believe how many millions still promote anger, hatred and bigotry. I fully expect the right wing Conservative (Tea Party) to become even more belligerent and offensive than they have been. However, I really hope this past week effectively cripples their most radical side. They are finally seen as the actual threat to this country that they really are.

Can we please move forward with more maturity and reason than we have been dealing with for the past 14 years?

Lazy days

Daughter and I haven't done much of anything since coming back home late Wed. She hasn't felt like doing much because of her ear. For me, took time for my guts to get back to semi-normal and my allergies are killing me. 

Tried to get new filters for the swamp cooler today but Walmart was out. So, have to pick them up at Home Depot tomorrow. No longer even sure how many allergy medications I have taken.

I have gotten out and further supported the tomato plants, which exploded the days we were gone! I mean like basically doubling in size, more flowers and forming fruit all in the same time frame. There are dozens of tomatoes forming, some of a very good size already, while hundreds of flowers have bloomed. Some are in metal cages but they started lifting the cages out of the ground and falling over. I had to add wooden stakes (4 ft tall) and tie the cages to the stakes. Had to tie trunks to the wooden supports because they were lying on the ground. 

I'll write more during the week. I'm tired now.

Back home

Daughter and I got back from vacation night before last. We traveled a total of over 1200 miles in five days. 

We went to see Carlsbad Caverns, which was the biggest destination. She loved it! You can see the main caverns in maybe 2.5 hours. We took our time and spent a grand total of 5.5 hours inside the caverns. Lots of discussions on the geology of the caves (and geology in general). We stayed in town that night and went back to see the bats launch that evening. She may have enjoyed that more than the caverns themselves.

Along the way, we went through three different forests. Also something we both seriously enjoyed. Some sights along the way which she had never before experienced, like driving through a mountain tunnel. She got to wade in two different rivers (both cleaner and more clear than the Rio Grande). The Gila and the Pecos.

Went through White Sands National Monument. Did not stay there for long. The sun reflects off the white sand, amplifying the effects of the sun. Even with hats and sunscreen, in summer it takes only 15 minutes to become sunburned there. Not to mention it is all gypsum, which absorbs all moisture from the immediate atmosphere. As a result, it probably has one of the lowest humidity levels on the planet. If negative humidity is possible, this is where you would find it.

We then went to the Gila forest and to see the Gila Cliff Dwellings. There, we had to stop for a while because of a lightning storm which came in. Even the rangers were amazed at the fact that a late June storm was dropping hail! Over 90 degrees and hail falling! 

I think she enjoyed the drive to the cliff dwellings and the walk to reach them more than she liked the cliff dwellings themselves. I know she enjoyed the drive coming back out. I drove much faster coming out than going in. Note that we left late enough that I knew there was no opposing traffic at all. So, narrow, winding mountain/forest road and us in a small car with no other traffic. I took many of the curves fast enough that she had to hold on really tight, laughing and hooting the whole way! However, I never went any crazy or unsafe speed. Just fast enough to add excitement.

The next day we drove up an even more narrow (slightly more than one lane) mountain road to see an actual old west mining town, mostly deserted. Artists have activities there on weekends but we were there during the week and were happy for that. People selling stuff kind of ruins the whole "ghost town" thing. There were lots of old mining tools, ore cars, rails, etc. Some now being used as planters. (I'm not sure of the wisdom in that but it looks attractive for now.) You could see but not enter the mine, which is right on the edge of town. There were also several smaller mine entrances right in the town, boarded up or on private property. 

Saw the Very Large Array on the way back. 

The last forest we drove through was thin and so far from the road that it offered no shade or anything worth mentioning. 

We had a couple of small mechanical issues along the way. Once the car did something it has done before. Acted like there was a fuel obstruction. Engine died and it took multiple attempts to get it going again. I think I need to drain the fuel tank completely and clean out the fuel filter. Eventually it got going again. The same thing happened like three times along the same (desert) road. Once it started running again, that problem never recurred.

The other issue was that one tire threw part of the tread. While we were on the road up to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. I changed the tire before we started back down. Turns out I may not need an alignment after all. So that would have been wasted money. Hmm. Karma? So, that tire must have been having issues for a while but it was not visible. Even when it did throw the tread, it was holding air (still is, in the trunk) and we had driven at least 600 miles on it at that point in the trip. 

We had some small health issues along the way but nothing that stopped us. She had some ear problems. Went to the doctor yesterday and it turned out to be swimmer's ear. Doc says she has very narrow ear canals. No infection. I pulled a muscle in my calf which slowed me down a bit and got gluten contamination at a diner on the last push home. Knew I should have skipped those fries. Been paying for that mistake for two days now. Oh, well. We haven't done much of anything since getting home, just recovering. 

Ready

Looks like nobody reads this blog, so I guess it's safe to say that my vacation started when I clocked out for work last night. This vacation is sorely needed.

I may start splitting my vacation up and try to take time off over the holidays. Maybe then I won't feel quite as wound up when summer vacation comes around.

Everything is set up. Not going to be gone long but keeping appearances as though I'm here. Basically a day trip. Still, I prefer safety and security. Mail on hold (I'll be back before they deliver the accumulation). Alarms are set, only two last things to enable. Very loud alarms for all entries. Motion sensing in some places. Cameras all working and off-site storing of video. Water heater turned down. 

Basically call this a dry run, to make sure all the new functions of the security system are up to speed.

Last time daughter and I went on vacation I had the security hooked up to the computer. Then a power surge caused computer problems while we were gone. This time the security system has no dependency on the computer, they're completely separate. Wired, wireless, encrypted password, battery backup. 

I'll also say that even if my neighbors aren't exactly sane (seriously passive/aggressive and attention seeking) I at least trust them to watch the neighborhood. The dog will keep watch over the back in addition to the cameras and alarms. 

We'll still be close enough that we may come back to check on the house and/or sleep before going on to our next destination. May not even be gone long enough to need a hotel. I just set things up that way in case. 

I'll also say I am keeping in practice. Vacations are a good way for me to make sure my logistics skills are still competent. Lots of details to take into consideration and I enjoy that. Food, energy, transportation, entertainment...

Okay, time to put the finishing touches on and hit the bricks.

Lots of stuff done

After work today, I got a lot of things done. Finally set up the security cameras to send images/video to my email. Been meaning to do that for a while. It's supposed to send images to my phone but I haven't figured that function out yet. No matter. When I get an email both my phone and my tablet will alert me, so same difference.

Charged up pretty much every battery in the house for portable electronics.

Cleaned out the car so it is much better, including more vacuuming.

Filled the hummingbird feeders. 

Watered the front yard, which required fixing some small fittings I broke while trimming grass. I made adaptations which decrease that risk. I'll do more of that in the near future. 

Walked the dog. 

Dishes, cooked dinner, put laundry away. Swept, mopped, took a bath. 

Well, all of that does indicate my energy level and general health are improving quite well. However, I am really tired now. As I finish this, it's almost 11 PM. Have to get to bed so I can wake up early enough to get the alignment in the morning.

Bronchitis

Woke up this morning, early, with a bronchitis attack. Wheezing, struggling for a breath. Took some medicine for it and it's much improved but still all that goes with it present. Body and joint aches. Residual congestion.

I feel like I'm running a fever. Not sure. Slight chills. However, simple congestion can temporarily raise your body temperature. 

I suspect it's because I was smoking different cigarettes because all my usual stores were out of my normal ones at the same time. However, it's also cottonwood season and I have not discounted illness. Guess if I'm going to get sick now is the time, instead of during my vacation. If I get sick right now I have time to recover before vacation.


Almost 11 PM- Well, the bronchitis turned out to definitely be from allergies. Took the dog for his walk this evening and cottonwood was blowing so densely it refracted sunlight and looked like a snow storm. Since I have such bad allergies it causes my allergies to skyrocket. 

There must be a damn religion against wheel alignments here. I have spent hours in the last few days trying to get an alignment. Still haven't gotten one. Checked the Walmart nearby. They don't do them. Finally drove to Firestone, about 10 miles away. They close at 7. I got there before 6. Response? "Our alignment guy is gone for the day." I set an appointment online for Sat morning. I'll have to get up early and get there before 9 AM. 

I set up the dog auto-feeder this evening. Just had to reassemble from last year. Had the water set up last few days, just doing adjustments. Started off with 2 gal per day setting but looks like 1 gal will do it. If I set it too high, it will just leak all over the ground inside the solarium. 

Okay, off to bed. 

Looking back

It is natural but still odd. When you get a diagnosis of a chronic medical condition which has been present but not diagnosed before, you look back. You recall years of symptoms and complications. You wonder what condition you would be in had it been caught sooner.

I'm not angry. Technology and science have advanced through the years. Plus I have a high pain tolerance, which delayed the knowledge. Even when I went for testing I considered it routine and did not expect what I was told. 

The best chance for a diagnosis came when I was a child and had extensive gastric problems. At that time, the technology did not exist and symptoms were not consistent with what was used for the diagnosis then. Years ago the criteria was basically hemorrhaging from your anus. Never had that problem, thank heavens! Some people actually do and they have my sincere empathy.

6PM- Well, no alignment. Tried taking the car to the nearest shop. They do brakes, transmissions, clutches and suspension but "no linemen". F'ing really?!! Another shop in walking distance does alignments but closes at 5 PM. 

Now, that is "New Mexico True". 

Try to support local small businesses and that's what you encounter here. But if they go bust it's because of Walmart and national chains running them out of business. Not because they don't want to actually work at maintaining their business or serving employed customers. So, if I am able to get an alignment, looks like it will be by a national chain. 

Okay, I'm going to walk the dog, go shopping and get some things done around here.

More improvements

Had to go to the dispensary this evening after work. The choices available were kind of slim for Indica dominant strains, so I had to get a variety which is over 20 percent THC. I'll mix it with some I have left over which is lighter. I'll be glad when they open the location in Los Lunas. I don't think it's really closer but be a much more relaxed drive. I hate driving across town between 5 and 6 PM. No choice at the moment, since they close at 6. I'm just glad one place is open at some time I can get there. 

Still no luck with growing my own. The white flies really destroy them. I sprayed the hell out of them with poison. It's hard to kill off white flies because they hatch below the soil surface. Only way to kill them is to kill off the adults, so they don;t lay eggs. Which can take some time. 

Got the left rear tire switched out. Been driving on what was technically the spare. Same size as the other tires, as far as circumference. One of the biggest things was actually that the rim was very different. Need to take the car to the shop tomorrow and have an alignment done on it. Checked and the leak is gone. lol! I think this is the first time in years I am driving a car with no leaks and actually runs. Not counting the bike.

Kind of bummed about the bike. It's halfway through June and I haven't gotten it running for the year yet. Need to do that soon. I'd really like to take a ride now and then. 

New faucet..again

Last night I bought a new faucet on the way home from dropping daughter at her mother's house. Though I replaced the faucet only a few weeks ago, the one I got was non-metallic and broke within like two weeks. This time I got one slightly more expensive and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. (Though warranties are kind of questionable to me. If you buy something which turns out to be garbage, why do you want another one of the same?) I am done with the one handle type of faucet. Maybe I'm too rough on them or maybe they're just badly made. In any case, they're more trouble than they're worth. 

Happy to say I'm back above 160 lbs. The nutritional shakes have helped a lot. Going to stick with those for a while and see if I can gain more. The protein shakes help but the tryptophan in them makes me sleepy, so I can only use a limited amount.

Need to go to the dispensary this week. Put that off until tomorrow. Going to check the car over this evening. Long as it's not raining. At best it is difficult to find a leak in the rain. Check the brake wear and general stuff while I'm at it. 

I finally figured out (I think) how to keep the cannabis and some other seedlings from being killed off by white flies. Not fond of it but sprayed all around the plants with heavy duty insecticide. This is a form with a relatively short half life, so by the time the plants mature, it should be inactivated. Not too many other choices. I've tried insecticidal soap and a dish of soap next to the plants to no avail. I have yet to have one of them reach more than a couple of inches in height. Planted three more seeds a few moments ago. If I can get just one plant to a decent size I can multiply it. Getting the one to decent size seems to be a challenge. Leave it to me to not be able to grow what was once considered an invasive weed.

9:20 PM- I had a very productive evening. Finally got under the hood of the car. Turned out the leak was just a loose fitting. I can see why, it was a pain to get to. I did get to it and tightened it down. I think that should cure the problem. 

Filled all the fluids. Cleaned out the back of the car. No small task because I had dry concrete leak back there a couple of times. Probably had half a bag of concrete mix back there. Had hoped the small vacuum would do it but wound up dragging out the big one. Still need to do some more cleaning of the car but the rest will be much easier. 

Got watermelon and pumpkin plants set in the ground. Also not as easy as it sounds because I'm still keeping the plastic sheeting down. Reduces grass and weeds while retaining moisture. Cut holes for the items I was planting. Moved the grape vine and set the pomegranate bush in the ground. 

Had to run to Auto Zone. Got a spare belt for the water pump and alternator. Plus some Liquid Steel because the well pump sprung a small leak. Patched that when I got home. 

Wash up, dinner and bed. I'm tired. However, at least I'm getting some energy back! Felt like my old self again today!

Grapes, vacation planning

Got the new grape vine in the ground today. For the moment. I realized later I placed it poorly. Changing the layout of the garden to establish an actual vineyard. Small one but not too small. Planning on keeping the vine trimmed mostly so the upper vines produce grapes but leave a couple of long runners (at least one on each side) at the bottom and bury them in soil until they form roots, then cut the connection to the "mother". That way, I can establish two new vines each year. 

Still going to maintain and extend the vines along the fence. Kind of gained an emotional attachment to them now. They are fairly hard to maintain with their placement, though. 

I also set the wisteria in the ground today, next to the garden gate. I may have to attached something more convenient for it to climb. It doesn't send out tendrils like some vines do to enable it to climb by itself. I need to install a small dripper for it. Again, I can propagate it in the same manner. 

Need to get the pumpkin and watermelon plants in the ground this week.

Starting to plan, prepare and lightly pack for vacation. I always plan well in advance, so I don't forget anything. Making sure security is in place, car is in the right condition, etc. This weekend I finally got a new stem valve installed in the spare tire. Going to see if I can get an alignment done at a nearby shop this week. Climb under the car and check the minor leak, see if I can track it down. Gave daughter a packing list, so she doesn't forget anything. Next time I see her will be to pick her up to go. 

Interview

Had my interview for the supervisor position today. I think the interview went well. However, I do not think I will get the position because of the time frame. They want someone to start within the next two weeks and be at full speed within like 2-3 weeks from now. That is a problem because of my vacation with daughter which begins next Fri.

In general, such a rush doesn't sound that great to me. Not just meaning if they hire me, but whomever they hire or promote. Seems too much they will be focusing more on availability above who is best for the position. And with such a short time to train and adapt, the requirements are steep. Someone technologically competent, experience in supervisory positions, clinical review and payroll. Plus being available to start the position almost immediately. Maybe a past office manager would fit the description. 

No matter what, I'm not going to take the position if it means interfering with time with the kiddo.

Speaking of which, I'm picking her up tomorrow evening. The ex texted me to ask if I could and of course there was no doubt of that. 

Felt a lot better today. Stuffing my face last night helped. Still trying to pack more calories on today because I really only came up by 2 lbs, which is out of starvation mode but leaves no buffer at all. Lose 1 lb (which could happen in my sleep) and I'm back in the same place. 

Sick yesterday

Yesterday I woke up and did not feel good at all. In pain from head to toe, brain fog, headache.. Rather quickly thought I knew what it was. Got on the scale and confirmed it. My weight had dropped rather drastically and I had sunk right down into starvation mode. 

Then work was horrible. Network kept crashing and even when it was working it was extremely, extremely slow. I kept felling worse between existing illness and stress. Finally, after five hours of work, my work computer kicked me out and would not let me log back in to major functions. I gave up, informed my supervisor and took a partial sick day. Out of five hours of work, I had been offline for two of those because of IT problems. 

Ran to the store for a few things, including a bunch of nutritional shakes. I drank four of those last night plus a protein shake. I did not have much of an appetite, even after medicating myself. 

Feel a bit better this morning. I don't know how long that will last. Supervisor told me they were working on the network last night. Working on the network is what caused the problem yesterday. Oh, well. Can't get worse. I'd rather the network go entirely offline than have intermittent connection and extreme slowness.

Dumb and dumber..and dumber..and dumber..

I swear people around me get dumber every single day. Across the country. The absolute worst part is that it is completely by conscious choice. 

I understand it. People feel displaced and disempowered. 

The problem with this is that it's all an illusion. People are more empowered today than ever. Knowledge and reinforcement are mere keystrokes away. So are different forms of personal connection. Yet they continue listening to all the sources which tell them they have no power, that someone else is taking their power from them. Yet the people telling them this are most often the ones trying to remove choices and decrease their power. 

The average IQ and literacy rate continue to plummet. In an age where nearly anything you want to know is accessible in milliseconds, for free. The only cost is the effort and developing the skills to ask the right questions. 

People today often isolate themselves out of fear. Then resent other people for their isolation. 

The difference in intelligence is the true essence of the civil war I have spoken of and predicted. Not all of it is directly related to intelligence but is a result of that influence. 

Late to rise again

Woke up late again this morning. Though I did not go to sleep very late last night or wake up in the middle of the night. 

That's okay. I don't have anything extremely pressing slated for today. A few things I want to get done. Including vacuuming with the new vacuum. That won't get things truly clean alone but will make it much easier. Some work on the car and bike. Start pumpkin seeds. 

The most time consuming stuff is trimming the front yard, chipping wood and picking up trash in the back yard.

9:1 PM- Well, that didn't work so well. 

It rained rather hard for some time today. Which eliminated the chipping wood and trimming grass idea. Neither can be very effectively done when it's too wet.

I kept updating the computer, which I have been somewhat lax on for a while. Every time I tried it caused malfunctions because of the motherboard. Now I can update, overclock, defrag and so forth. I am hoping that does some good for the boot time. It has decreased it a bit but not enough yet. 

Took the dog for a long walk. Got back and gave him a bath with tick medicine. Must have done some good because he seemed very happy a short while later. I'm not entirely sold that that is a good thing. 

Finally got around to installing the ceiling fan/light in the office. Still a lot of work to complete the office but will be much easier with lights to work by. So, that's the first time in years there has been a ceiling light in that room. The old ceiling fan never did work very well, if at all. I did take one shortcut. There were two cables dropping from the ceiling and I wasn't sure which one went where but it was obvious one goes to the ceiling light and one to the closet. I hooked both cables to the light switch, which means the closet light will only work if the main light switch is turned on but most of the time you would have the room light on before turning on the closet light, any way. 

I noticed something while walking the dog today. We have had abnormally high amounts of rain here for what is now turning into three consecutive years. A result from that is that there are more trees growing. I cannot say I am overly fond of the kind of trees growing. However, with the aquifer running so close to the surface, it really only takes 2-3 years of decently spaced rain for new trees to grow and roots to tap underground water. Chances are the seeds had been sitting in the soil for years, just waiting for enough rain to sprout. Many of those trees are already 6-8 ft tall. The interesting thing on all of this is, barring wildfires or human intervention (not too likely in the areas I was walking) this means it could take only a few years for this area to convert from desert to basically forest. The larger the trees get, the more the shade from them helps the soil retain moisture. In addition, they will actually increase soil moisture if they are bringing that moisture up from an underground source. This could gradually continue for at least a couple of miles on each side of the river, at lowest elevations. In many more years it could expand much further, if allowed to happen.

However, I'm sure the locals will not go along with it

Slow day

Never got much done today, at least not regarding manual labor.

Much of the day was taken up installing drivers and updates for the computer. Oh, crap. I never did get around to Windows updates. All of that is time consuming. But things are working as they should. Except the boot time is still really long. 

I did get out and trim some grass. In the process, found the dog has been getting both out of the yard and into the garden. I found a chewed up diaper in the garden. I was pissed. He did not get a walk today. I also further secured a few things. If I find he gets past those blockades he is in for more heartache. Seriously. He learned nothing from having his damn balls cut off? Dumb as rocks. 

I got the cucumber plants in the ground next to the fence. Along the way, more trouble with the dog. First, I had just picked up his crap. While I was trimming grass, he vacuumed in the food which had been sitting in his bowl, untouched all day. Why? So he could crap again and replace the stench I had just eliminated. Then, while I was planting the cucumbers, he shoved his snout through the fence and attempted to eat the plants. I can only hope they still exist tomorrow. He did get a swat on the nose. 

I know, dog fanatics hate me. I love the dog but love him a lot more when he behaves. People say dogs don't understand when they are doing something wrong and I think that is complete bullsh*t. 

I have a feeling I will have more energy tomorrow. Now that my gastric issues seem to have dissipated. 

New stuff

My new motherboard and processor came in today. FedEx is going to hear from me. I sat right here and watched the delivery guy drop the box deliberately. The new processor was in that box. So was the new vacuum cleaner.

Any way, the new vacuum is really cool. Luckily not damaged. Has surprising power for the size. This is a small portable unit but does have a hose, while also having a beater bar. Lightweight and I can use it to clean areas the old vacuum would not reach.

Going to install the computer parts right after a short break and maybe after the news. 

They're still too fast for me to catch a picture but it's really cool walking out and having hummingbirds flying like 3 ft away in the back yard. Need more nectar for them. They already sucked up all that I had!

I started this post yesterday evening but never finished it. Got busy installing computer parts, cooking dinner, running to the store. Then got tired and went to bed.

Woke up late this morning. Because I was awake at 4:30 AM because of my guts. That's all I'll say on that.

However, I did use that time to install the drivers for the new motherboard, reinstall video card drivers and so forth. 

That's all installed and the system is a lot more stable. Can watch lots of videos and the CPU doesn't overheat any more. Both video cards are installed now (only one hooked up to the monitor) and both are working. Still tweaking to get things the way I want. 

But I can play computer games again!

Really good news about the steps I have taken in the past year or less. The insulation, solarium and shade fabric are doing an awesome job of keeping the house cooler, now that warmer weather has arrived! In the morning through early afternoon, the insulation mostly helps. In late afternoon (like after maybe 3 or 4 PM) it gets warmer in here but not like it used to. The swamp cooler cools it down rather nicely and quickly. I sometimes use the air conditioner in late evening but if I let it run for an hour or so I tend to turn it off because it actually gets cold in that room. 

I have not yet gotten around to doing the evaporative setup for the solarium. 

Up early

I woke up early today for a work day. Don't usually get up too long before work because there isn't much to do until then.

Definitely looks like the fertilizer helped the strawberries. They have a lot more flowers on them and one has a number of small berries. Still wondering if insect damage is occurring, though. Not seeing insects  but maybe need to look closer. If not, maybe the plants need larger containers. 

Been testing my theory on lifting weights for the chest. Most people use the pec fly machine with both arms at once and stop when their arms meet in front. I work one arm at a time and bring that arm across my chest. My testing shows me that this involves more of the medial chest muscles. So my method means I'm building the full range of the pec muscles, so my method is more functional. Not to mention that the center is what is most visible and what most people focus on. That probably has a lot to do with why I've gone up a shirt size since January just because of chest size. I also vary the angle of the exercise, to work different parts of the chest.

I may fall behind slightly from the gain I made last pay period. Only slightly, though. And may regain any loss when I get a refund on the motherboard. That is the issue throwing me off.

Just realized my vacation is in two weeks. The first one. Hmm. I may be renting a car, after all. Weather is heating up and where we are going is pure desert for at least part of it. Don't want us getting so hot we pass out. By my second week off, hope to choose a cooler location and/or fix the air conditioner in the car before then. 

I also have to make plans and adjustments for the plants. Not starting many more seeds which may not survive a couple of days without attention. Basically sticking to low maintenance seeds. On the other hand, have to get potting soil this weekend and get pumpkin seeds started.

Once again, cucumbers are not looking all that great. What am I doing wrong with them?

Maybe

Seems I may have found the culprit in my diet. One day without MSG and I feel much better than yesterday. Of course, the jury remains out because one day doesn't mean much. I am also not jumping on some bandwagon against MSG. Millions of people eat it on a daily or near daily basis with no ill effects. But in my case millions also eat eggs, wheat and other things which I can no longer eat. 

I'm not angry or anything but it does get really old and frustrating when you keep eliminating things from your diet because it seems like everything you eat is poisoning you.

My strawberry plants are looking ragged again. Things I've read before say strawberries need virtually no fertilizer, so I have not been fertilizing them. Until now. Since they look so tragic and the ones last year died off, figured nothing to lose. The only other option could be insect damage. I may set one of them further back in the solarium and compare how they do.

8:30 PM- got to the gym this evening. Not much of a workout. Too many campers. It was not that busy, just too many people literally sitting on the machines, not moving, not working out. 

Had to do some grocery shopping. Picked up a couple of pickles and made some cold pack pickles when I got home. More juice than pickle but the cucumbers buffer the vinegar, which helps my gut.

Initial impression is that the fertilizer helped the strawberries a lot! Give it a couple more days and see how they're doing.

I started more cannabis seeds today. Three more. Then I ran out of potting soil. Actually used some pots from failed plants. Brings it up to seven currently. Planted. Three actively growing and looking decent.

Getting to bed soon. Though my workout was short, it did make me decently tired.

Not too bad

NHaving the computer break down at about the same time that the TV season ended kind of sucks in a way. However, it's not really too bad. Means I have fewer distractions, so I may actually get more done. 

My biological schedule is another matter. Cannot do the whole "as long as I get 5 hours of sleep I'm fine" thing any more. Losing too much sleep can cause pretty bad consequences for days. 

Been observing the garden where I laid plastic down. Where the black plastic is down, I had just put it over the dry dead grass, so it was raised up slightly. Now that weather is warming up and the irrigation is running underneath the plastic, the plastic is less raised as the grass effectively composts under the plastic. That's a very good sign. I think the major effect will occur starting this week and next, as the ambient temperatures rise above 90. The heat should concentrate under the plastic. Hopefully enough to kill the seeds. The translucent plastic is starting to have effects but not nearly as much as the black.

I've gone through at least two bags of potting soil so far this year, 2 cubic ft each. Not done yet, looks like I need another to get pumpkins and some other things going. Part of that is the large containers I've been using but those have also helped many of the plants survive without being root bound. I think by next year I'll get another metal drum which I can use to heat garden soil for the purpose, killing off weed seeds and noxious insects. 

I am still making an effort to beautify the area by spreading seeds which have a chance of growing here. Giant sunflowers, Cosmos and Marigold seeds. Not really seeing much luck from seeds spread previous years but I keep trying. It may be because I just spread them on the soil surface and they get taken up by birds. Birds go after what they can find because there are limits to what is available to them. Of course if any of the seeds grow it will increase their available food supply in the long term. Where I can, I toss them into piles of leaves and such, where they have a chance of retaining moisture and not being seen by birds. May still see some results from previous seeds in a few weeks because none of my own flowers are blooming yet this year but roses.

Learned something else I have to avoid eating. MSG. So that eliminates some of my favorite spice mixes and a lot of Chinese food. That's probably why I've had problems after eating Chinese food on weekends with daughter. Damn I wish there were more barbecue places here. Like Bill Miller's. 

Related to that, I'm skipping the gym tonight. I was not feeling so good much of the day because I ate chicken with a lot of MSG last night. Today was when it clicked what the problem was. I may have more tolerance to jalapeños than I thought, which would be good. Some of the food I ate jalapeños with were also cooked with MSG. Give it a couple days, test the theory and find out.

8:30 PM- Took a look through my spices and got a surprise I wasn't counting on. Looks like pretty much all of my seasoned salts have MSG in them! Looked into it online earlier and some sources say MSG is quite toxic to ulcerative colitis. If true, I have again been poisoning myself for years without knowing it. So, next step is to avoid MSG. Easy to do at home. Maybe make my own seasoned salt. See if that makes a difference. That could very well explain a lot. Just for safety, also going to avoid meat tenderizer, which can act as a blood thinner.

I planted one more cannabis seed a little while ago. I'm allowed 4 mature plants and 12 seedlings. I'm going to shoot for the maximum for some simple reasons. For one, I want to produce seeds for the future instead of paying for them. For another, male plants are allegedly basically useless beyond fertilizing female plants so they do produce seeds. Not like any females will go to waste. Been reading up and learned dry (seasoned) cannabis will last for several years. Long as I package it securely it will remain good.

Supervisory position

A new supervisory position came open at work. Once again, I was encouraged to apply for it by my supervisor, who is not the same supervisor who encouraged me last year. 

So, this time I did apply. Not getting my hopes up too much. I'm often naive about politics. Too honest for it. 

I do have a history of supervisory positions over the years and tend to be very good at it. As long as I can keep the politics at bay. My approach is inclusive and problem solving, not finger pointing, bossy or pushy. 

There is one caveat to this. Vacation time is coming up. If I am offered the position but it interferes with time with daughter I will pass on it. I would much rather keep my relationship intact with her than take a promotion. I'm at a fairly decent time in my life right now. Finances aren't bad, I have lots of interests and free time. No driving need to be in charge. I just get bored and frustrated with rude callers at times. Plus, as I said, I'm good at being in charge. Just because I care about what I'm doing. If I found I did not like the supervisor position, I could always step down amicably.

As a result of the application process taking so long plus taking the dog for a long walk (reward for behaving), had to skip the gym tonight. Try and make it there tomorrow. 

Looks like I am winding up to be more of an activist for cannabis than I had planned on. The more I learn about new science showing benefits plus the false information passed for so many years, it's kind of drawing me in. New scientific research actually shows it helps fight/prevent cancer. That's in addition to the known anti-inflammatory effects, anti-emetic properties, decrease of intraocular pressure for eye problems and anxiolytic benefits it seems only natural I would get involved. It's much safer, less toxic and more effective than many prescription medicines. Not to mention far less expensive if you can grow your own. Though I am still viewing it as a medication. Some people see it as recreational but I don't fall into that category. Those are the kind of people most likely to use it and drive or use it as an excuse for aberrant behavior. 

Looking better

Cannabis plants are looking much better. Now two plants sprouted and think I see a third coming up but not certain just yet. Of course, these are all seeds from out of state. Not sure how much of the first seeds dying off had to do with the seeds and how much to do with my errors. Yes, the last one died. Thing is, I used basically the same methods I am using now. The weather to begin with was colder but that doesn't really seem like it was enough difference to kill them off. Maybe white flies had more to do with it. I am going to wait until the plants are larger before moving them outside. Wait until they have at least 2-3 sets of leaves. 

Checked the soil pH again and it's back to around 8. That is extremely alkaline for soil. So, just going to keep adding acid in small amounts to the irrigation system. If I add too much at once it will fry the plants. Add nothing and nothing will grow. I seem to be judging it fairly well, as the tomatoes are really taking off now. Very nice shade of green! Green grape vine is looking much better. Not so sure it will produce any grapes but hoping. Kind of late for the vine to flower. They normally flower at cooler temperatures than we are running into now, which is now heading straight to the 90's and even 100 in the near forecast. 

Right now I need to go out and trim the red grape vines again. Have to keep up with that at least once a week.

8:45 PM- As planned, trimmed the red grape vine. The grapes are nowhere near getting ready to ripen but have already gotten larger than most previous years. Still not sure these grapes will ever achieve table grape size but they were larger last year than previous years. This year I've added more fertilizer and keeping the vine more seriously trimmed back. Of course that means fewer grapes but that's okay if they reach a good size. 

Tied up the tomato plants some more. Winds can tear them to pieces. Took four more cuttings. At least one plant died and a couple look fairly questionable. Ther plants are still short but have lots of flowers and main stems are getting thick. See how the cuttings do.