Second trip

This week is my second vacation. Daughter and I went for a short trip through northern NM, saw the Bandalier National Monument, drove through Carson and Santa Fe National Forests. We enjoyed it but I have to admit it was the most boring trip we have taken to date.

We got lost at one point in Los Alamos. That town is like a trap! Everything is a dead end and the highways are badly marked. That's true for much of NM but this was a whole different level. 

I was really happy with the car we got. It was a hybrid and we only went through about one tank of gas for a trip over 600 miles through a lot of mountains. 

Unfortunately since coming back my intestines have been killing me. I suspect something I ate in the last couple of days must have done some damage. Taking a bunch of stuff to help. Not much good yet.

Good thing is that daughter and I had a lot of time to talk. Some people talk with their 12 year olds and wind up shocked. In my case, the more I talk with my daughter the more I love her. She's growing up to be such an awesome person.

I have set myself back a little financially but should be able to catch up very quickly, like next paycheck. 

Went slightly farther and ordered a pressure canner. Happy I can finally afford one. Ordered one that's anodized and can be used as a pressure canner or pressure cooker. It does rather suck that I can now afford one with this being the least productive year for the garden in several growing seasons. 

I may change my mind and plant green beans, after all. Plus I need to remove some of the plastic and plant fall crops very soon. Carrots, broccoli and lettuce, aside from pumpkins.

Getting a good rotation of ripe tomatoes now. Very happy with that!

Strangely, every single one of our plums disappeared. No sign of them. Not even one pit. Just gone. Maybe birds stole them. Means I have to take steps in future years to prevent that. 

Cucumbers are growing well. That reminds me. I need to plant more dill. Maybe cilantro, also.

Little bit of cleaning

I got a little bit of house cleaning done tonight. Not a lot but some. Mostly decided I'm going to do a lot of house and yard work during my next week off. Though I will get more done tomorrow. 

Mostly I was tired tonight. Not exhausted but not really energetic. 

Took the dog for his walk and took a short bike ride. Only a couple of miles but it felt good! I think it will feel better in the fall, though. 

The ex asked if I could pick daughter up on Fri evening instead of Sat morning. Absolutely! Love the time I get to spend with kiddo. She's still my favorite person on earth. Pretty sure she'll be happy about the XBox. I haven't told her about it yet. 

Something else I need to do tomorrow (or maybe before bed tonight) is check the Kinect and make sure it functions properly. Be a real bummer if it didn't work when she comes over. If I check it over before then, I can go exchange it before Fri. 

Very good thing. When I first moved in here, I had a big problem with flies. It happened every year around the same time and gradually decreased. This year, I've seen maybe 4-5 flies all summer. Now, I will say that there has been a fly problem in this whole area each year at the same time, so they were probably invading. However, I do have the sneaking suspicion that there was some reservoir they were coming from which is now gone. Still a bit of a gnat problem but even that is better this year than previous years. 

I seem to have the white fly problem under control. I still see one now and then, so spray immediately and have kept them at bay for a few weeks now. 

Rental it is

So, I took the car out for a test drive and hit the highway for a short distance. It reaches the right speed and the rpm's aren't alarming but higher than I'd like. 

So, I'm going to go ahead an reserve a rental for the next road trip. That's okay, the rental will have air conditioning. 

Pretty sure the problem is a vacuum problem but i can't track it down. There is a new auto shop which just opened a few blocks away. I'll drop it off sometime and see if they can locate the problem. Until then, the car is okay for driving around town and lesser distances. Might be a few weeks before I can do that. It will be okay until then. I could afford it now but don't want to dip too far into the savings I've compiled.

My savings have remained static for a number of weeks now. I could have added more to it but I did spend more money than originally intended on the XBox, extra peripherals and games. 

First ripe tomato of the season from the garden is red but I still left it out one more day so it will get more red. After this there is another turning and I'm sure many more will be following in short order. 

Checked the cucumber plants to make sure I did no damage while stringing them up on the trellis. They look good! Lots of little cucumbers which are getting larger. Lots of flowers which will become cucumbers later. Next year I may lay down more plastic where I plant them just to keep the soil moisture up and the weeds at bay. 

Cucumbers!

Went to nail up some heavy wire netting to the wooden fence for the cucumbers to climb. Found out there are quite a few tiny cucumbers growing now! Yay!

I think my first tomato of the season ripening will be red enough to pick tomorrow. 

Took the car for a test drive and to check to transmission fluid level again. Turned out it was a little low. Worked better the second time I drove it, after adding more fluid. However, I want to take it for one more test drive and get it on the highway tomorrow, to confirm it does okay.

I'm still debating renting a car versus taking this car for my next week off. I may rent a car just for the air conditioning. Though it's supposed to be a bit cooler this time and we will be driving in areas which are cooler all year than most of the previous drive.

Nah, long as the car drives okay tomorrow, I'd rather use the money to get a set of good used tires. 

No house cleaning done tonight. Get to that tomorrow. 

The war continues

The social and especially religious war continues.

After the Supreme Court decisions and some state decisions, the right wing has been completely fired up, trying to force their will onto others. They cannot stand that gay marriage has been legalized, that steps have been taken to further desegregate housing, women's rights are being upheld, affordable medical insurance is available to everyone and the Confederate Battle Flag has been removed from several government facilities.

Now they are supporting Donald Trump as a presidential candidate. A man who has made negative statements about Mexican/South American immigrants and belittled a war hero. That is just in two weeks or less.

These are the same people who organized/became part of the Conservative Tea Party, which is basically all white racist people, all Christian and attempting to force their religion on others in many different ways. They are also mindless bullies. In the past these people have supported George W Bush, Sarah Palin and Rick Perry, all mindless idiots with a mindset of force and not a thought to diplomacy. 

This sounds all negative. However, many of the forward steps which have occurred have been building for decades and finally came to fruition. These are things which I and other people have been working for at some level for at least 50 years. Then they all come together in a matter of weeks! I am genuinely happy to see these things happening at long last. 

However, now the right wing is resorting to some of the most transparent and obnoxious tactics ever. Calling themselves victims, crying how their rights are being taken away, when they have not lost a single thing. A right wing website had a reporter pose as someone they are not and record a conversation with the head of Planned Parenthood to try and make them look bad. It's backfiring as more of the actual unedited conversation comes out. It is also in a large part bringing their views on underprivileged mothers come out into the full light of day, which they have tried to keep in the dark. Along with their racism and homophobia. 

Basically some battles have been won but the war rages on. It came to me tonight that we are currently involved in a major turning point in history. So many major changes in so short a time and the right wing showing exactly who they are. It is crucial to continue this pace while they are at a disadvantage. The actions taken and decisions made now decide what world our children grow up in. Will it be a world of bigotry and hate? Or will it be a world of acceptance and communication? 

Feel like crap

I did get out and get the bike tire aired up and the bike started and runs fine!

The car is still having some issue with changing gears. Better than before but still stubborn. Not sure what is going on. I suspect a vacuum problem which I have not yet been able to track down. I'll keep trying. 

Ran to the store for a few things and to test drive the car.

Aside from that, I lost energy. Feel like garbage. Not sure what is going on except allergies. 

Still going to talk myself into getting a few more things done. Not nearly as much as I had hoped but something. Need to check the tomato plants. No doubt have to do more tying. Mostly want to check for ripe tomatoes, though. 

8 PM-

Took the dog for a walk. Got some clutter out to the garbage. 

Checked tomatoes and spent quite some time tying branches up for more support. They're getting heavy! Lots more tomatoes hanging and the oldest ones are getting really large! I have a couple (I really mean a couple, only two) which are ripening now but still kind of orange, not yet red. Walking through the tomato patch is like walking through a small jungle now and it's all tomato plants. One plant is getting so heavy to one side it's pulling the stake over. I'll have to add another stake on the opposite side for more support. 

There are one or two tomato hornworms munching on the plants. I'm not going to bother it. It's stripped a few branches and eaten into 2-3 tomatoes but no more damage than that. It won't be long before it changes to a moth and the moths are pretty. I have plenty to share. I would be spraying insecticidal soap if it was an outright invasion but it's not. 

I still need to polish the gauges and taillights on the bike which are clouded up. I've read you can do that with a rotary power tool and toothpaste, so I'll try that before going for anything more expensive. If it works, I'll do the same with the car headlights. 

Bronchitis

Woke up with a bronchitis attack this morning. I think because I fell asleep with the ceiling fan running last night. I usually have a fan running but not the ceiling fan, also. My medicine hit me really hard and I pretty much fell unconscious.

Oh, well. Waiting for my bronchitis medication to take full effect. 

I forgot to charge the bike battery last night. So, have it charging now. 

I guess I can try airing up the tire while that is charging. I may take the batteries across the street to the battery shop and see if they can refurbish the old ones. If not, I'm not sure how to dispose of old motorcycle batteries. Maybe check with Auto Zone? If they can't refurbish the batteries, I'll have to order an extra bike battery. I prefer having a spare. 

I also want to check on getting a higher output electrical rotor for the bike. 

Other than vehicle work, some extensive house cleaning and organizing is needed. Have to admit I set things down and then tend to ignore them where they sit, as though they belong there, which they do not. However, much of the time there is no set place for many things I do this with. 

To have a place for everything, I need to do a lot more wood work. 

Biggest problem still tends to be chronic fatigue and temperature intolerance. I can manage to get past the chronic fatigue for short periods. However, then I run into the problem of losing too much weight. That is a problem which is much harder to get past, no matter what I do. It is amazing how much of your temperature tolerance comes from your intestinal tract. So, one follows the other. That part does improve as long as I maintain my iron intake to keep me out of functional anemia, which derives from inadequate nutrient absorption. 

This crap is seriously frustrating because I have always been rather energetic and primarily healthy (except for sinus/allergy problems). Spent most of my life functioning on far less sleep than the average person, working multiple high-energy jobs, etc. Then going out to party after working OT. 

Okay, time to stop whining about it and do something. Soon as I finish my coffee.

Car work done

Got the work finished on the car. Had to go buy a special tool to remove the fluid from the transmission without removing the pan. That's okay, it cost less than buying a new gasket and sealant. 

Then engine sounds much better. I had a lifter that had a slight click before and that's gone now. 

Got the new front brakes installed and they are much quieter. 

Got the bike started. I think the second old battery is no good. My own fault. I left both batteries in the bike over last winter, which probably destroyed them. I'll charge the new battery tonight, get the rear tire filled with air one way or another tomorrow. I did already run the engine at high rpm's this evening, spinning the suspended rear tire. Not sure of it had the desired effect yet because I didn't try airing it up. 

By the time I was done with all of that, I was filthy and tired. Took a bath. Now I'm going to play some computer games, take my medicine and get to bed.

More on XBox

So, some good, some not so good about the XBox.

First, I am having a little trouble adjusting to the controls. They're a bit sensitive to me. So it's going to take time to adjust. I'm more accustomed to playing on PC, which means mixture of keyboard and tighter controls using a trackball. I'm also used to being much closer to the screen, which is more immersive. Oh, well. Sure I can adjust. It performs really well. Great graphics!

What I actually had heard a little of but not much was the other functions available on the XBox. Had not really thought much about it. Like Netflix, etc. Did not know you could video chat on it. (Not doing that until I get the living room in better organization.) 

So, I've downloaded a few apps for History Channel, Hulu, Netflix and A&E. 

I'm dragging a bit this morning. Get started doing some stuff shortly. Today is vehicle maintenance day. Have to get that done and check how the car performs. And make sure I can get the bike running. Wish I had a garage.

11 AM-

Yeah, I haven't gotten anything done yet. At least part of my first day off, I am typically in a thinking mood.

These are copies of posts I made to FaceBook this morning alone.

You cannot restrict choices and protections for the people of this country and still claim you are in favor of freedom.

Okay, for those actually getting nervous about Jade Helm, I'll explain this.
1. If the government was going to take over, they would move quickly and as quietly as possible. This would result in decreased resistance. They would not announce things months in advance.
2. The reason for the silence on details is simple. This is a massive war game. Also known as "OpFor", which means opposing force. They are split into something like blue team and red team. Or back and white, team 1 and team 2..
3. In war games (which are training for the real thing), plans and tactics are NOT announced widespread and in advance. This would give the opposing team the chance to plan their tactics to defeat you.
4. Many plans are not made in advance. They change and evolve. Any military that cannot adapt to changing conditions is useless. You would not get into a street fight and tell your opponent every place you were going to hit them and in what order. It's common sense.
5. In a maneuver this size, there is friendly territory and enemy territory. Most likely chosen at random by computer or drawn from a hat. Other choice? The f'ing crazy governors in Texas for the last 20 years and over 100k Texans signing a petition to secede! Think that makes it friendly territory?!!
6. We are 3 days into this thing. How many cities and towns are under martial law so far?
7. When it is all over and no martial law has been declared, understand this. You did NOT avert something which was never going to happen. You just showed your paranoia to the whole world.

It still amazes me that some people believe in the trickle down theory.
Here are some facts to consider.
1- 1 percent of the US population possesses 90 percent of the wealth.
2- That 1 percent is constantly trying to gain even more.
3- Are you hearing anything in that which says they are trying to share any of it? No. They did not get there by paying money out.
4- If they succeed, their increase comes from the other 99 percent, leaving us with less. The result is economic depression and stagnation.
5- Economies function on money being spent, not hoarded.
6- If you believe you will ever have a chance of being part of that 1 percent, forget it. You have a greater chance of winning the lottery, being hit by lightning..both within one minute.
7- To become part of that 1 percent at this point in time, it would require getting some of the money from the existing 1 percent, which is not going to happen. Why? See number 3, above.
8- The 1 percent mentioned are continually moving jobs (especially well paying jobs) and money to other countries to avoid taxes and regulations here. Which damages the US economy and devalues the US dollar.

Conservatives are the most likely to endorse the trickle down theory. 
Conservatives, by nature, idealize an anarchistic past, like the 1950's. Yet the tax rate on the richest American's in the 50's and early 60's was over 90 percent. 
Historically, the lowest tax rates on the rich have resulted in economic downturns. While increased tax rates for the rich have economic upturns for extended periods.

This is a very good article on the last thing I wrote. The article is NOT a left wing article. It is from a business website.
Look at the chart for tax rates. Notice the 1920's (stock market crash, beginning of Great Depression). Note the late 1930's, when we were climbing out of the Depression.
Then look at the 1980's (Reaganomics). 
1990's saw an economic improvement due to the tech bubble. Not related to taxes very much.
Then go to the early 2000's up to 2008 (economic crash initiated by the housing crash).
And in general, compare all of this to the worst poverty in history. The French Revolution. The Middle Ages. In each case the vast majority of wealth was monopolized by a small percentage of people.
Simply put, ALL historical and rational economic arguments demonstrate that the trickle down theory has absolutely NO merit and is completely counterproductive to the general economy.
http://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-tax-rates-2012-5?op=1

Exchanged

I tried everything I could with the XBox controller. Changed batteries, restarted the console, checked for more information. Nothing. So, this evening I went to Game Stop (who I bought it from) to see if they could check it out. Instead, they exchanged it. 

When I got home, it still did not work. That's when I got frustrated and held the sync button on the controller down for several seconds. Guess what? It worked. The dang thing synced up. I had read instructions for this thing on numerous sites. Not one of them said to hold the button down! They all just said to push the button. I probably should have read a message board on the subject. So, the controller they sent me was probably just fine. 

Oh, well. I bought and extra (wired) controller and a couple of games. 

I'm glad it's Friday. Tired of dealing with stupid, rude and aggressive people. Need a couple of days off. 

I'm going to get to bed fairly early tonight. If I don't stay up late shooting zombies.

XBox

Yay! The XBox and Kinect arrived today, with all the games. I did order the extended warranty for the XBox. 

Hmm. I may need a larger surge protector.

Going to shoot some zombies tonight and this weekend!

The LED grow lights also arrived. They were so small and light I thought it was only one at first. Opened the package and found it was all four. Installed one immediately. Works well from what I could tell. Won't really be able to assess until nighttime. If they're dim, I'll use two of them. They're low voltage and low heat. 

I am so sick of rude, unprofessional people. They are who I will be picturing in my head as I shoot zombies. I wouldn't shoot them in real life but tazing sounds like a really good idea. 

Before games, I need to work on the bike some more. Decided to just wait until the weekend to do the car, since it involves raising the car up and spending some time underneath. Aside from taking it out of commission to do the engine and transmission flushes. I got new front brakes, also. So I'll spend at least a couple of hours working on the car all at once. Jack it up one time and be done with it. 

The battery for the bike is all charged up. Should be ready to work on, long as the gas hasn't all evaporated. Have to check that before starting. Pain in the butt if there's no gas in the fuel line. 

9:19 PM- 

Okay, so I am having one of those days where electronic items don't like me. Tends to be minor issues unless I push it too hard. Then it becomes major. So, better to leave it alone and come back at it tomorrow.

The bike wouldn't start. Could not get the tire seated and since the engine wouldn't start, spinning the tire at high speed didn't happen. Part of it was that the bike has sat so long. Just makes it stubborn. Had gas in it but probably not enough. I went and got more. I thought I had a battery problem but not certain now. Very difficult for the engine to turn over. So I tried jumping it from the car with car engine off. Then the bike engine just stopped turning over. Just before that happened, the engine really tried to start. So, the problem is either the main fuse or the starter. I'm guessing the main fuse. Check that over tomorrow and all connections. 

Then I hooked up the XBox. It came with a wireless controller. However, the wireless controller would not sync with the console. I'll have to look up more information and try more this weekend. 

Oh, well. Got the dishes done, cooked dinner. Eating and watching the news. Glad tomorrow is Friday!

Eh..

Okay, I went out and changed the oil in the bike. Didn't get to the car. I have a crick in my neck and did not much feel like crawling under the car.

For the bike, I used full synthetic. Just to try and make the engine last longer. 

Got the front bike tire aired up. However, had a problem getting the rear tire to hold air. Tire isn't seated properly. It got too dark, so I'll work on it more tomorrow. Try spraying it with water around the rim first. If that doesn't work, I'll try getting the engine going, keep the rear tire suspended and run the engine at high rpm's. Maybe the centrifugal force will make it seat. 

Took a seriously needed bath. Feel much better.

Not much else. Getting to bed shortly.

Up early!

I fell asleep at a decent time last night and woke up before my alarm this morning. Yay! 

Doesn't mean I'm doing much before work except throwing a load of laundry in. The positive is that it does mean I've gained enough sleep that I probably won't be tired all day. 

Anything I need to do around the house would probably leave me dirty or damp (like doing dishes) and I don't want to be dirty or damp all day during work. 

It amazes me that the number of people seems to be growing who like to argue just for the sake of arguing. Nothing else. They generally have no valid opposing statement, just noise. I don't mind if someone has a well researched or thought out opinion different than mine. In those cases one of us will learn something. Sadly, that tends to be rarely the case. 

I even got in a discussion on a growing forum last night. I was trying to explain why some crops are more expensive than others. (Some strains produce less, are more prone to disease, more difficult to grow..) I get some guy saying I'm wrong and strain degradation due to cloning is a myth. What?! Where the hell did I say that?!! 

Oh, well. It's pointless. To some people anything you say which does not agree 110 percent with them is going to be an attack on them. No science, no reasoning, no common sense necessary.

5:45 PM-

Taking a break after work. Need to walk the dog and work on the car and bike.

I am seriously mentally fatigued from listening to the dog, whose whining gets worse almost daily. Not sick or anything. It's all about attention. I cannot walk out the front door, the back door or through the bathroom or kitchen without him whining incessantly. I go outside and pet him and he whines for attention while I'm petting him! 

Some people may call it abuse but I gave in. I gave the dog a small amount of cannabis. Just a fraction of a gram mixed with his food. No harmful effects. It makes him happy but calmer. Doesn't completely stop the whining but drastically decreases it. So it definitely decreases my stress level and appears to decrease his, as well. 

Other things I've tried have failed. Valerian, Benadryl, Melatonin.. My only other option would be to use a shock collar or have his vocal cords surgically cut. I find this a much better option, especially since the behavior is very obviously caused by him being overanxious. Other options would treat the behavior but not the cause. It's not possible by the laws of physics to give the dog the amount of attention he apparently wants, since he is crying for attention while I am paying attention to him. 

Of course, this makes it more important for me to have a successful grow. Otherwise it will result in much higher expenses for me. 

Blah day

I guess the fatigue thing last night wasn't just a Monday thing. I woke this morning with very low motivation. Not sure what that was all about. Felt that way all day.

However, I did talk myself into doing the front tire on the bike this evening. Glad I did! When I slightly pulled the old valve stem to one side, it broke off in my hand with no effort at all. The rear tire doing that sucked. If the front tire did that while I was riding, it could mean an instantaneous crash, right over the handlebars, etc. Not too likely, as hard as the rubber is but always the chance. 

As predicted, the front was considerably easier than the rear. Less to dismantle. Not to mention I had practice and the correct tools from doing the rear wheel. 

Took the dog for a walk before that. Have to admit he annoyed me. Part my mood, part his behavior, hard to control. 

Oh, well. Going to tune up the bike and start working on the car tomorrow. Sounds like a lot at once but tends to make sense, if I work on changing the motor oil on both at once. I would like to get all the vehicle maintenance done before the weekend. Then I may have a few hours to take a decent ride. I need to polish the headlight, meters and taillight covers before riding at night any distance. The lights are visible but dim and blurry. 

Not tonight

Not working on the vehicles tonight. Tired. Mondays wear me out. Think it's just the change of schedule from the weekend. Though I did get some gluten contamination yesterday, it doesn't seem to be too bad. 

I broke down and ordered something fairly expensive. An Xbox 360. Not the latest version which is an XBox One. It's also refurbished. Also a Kinect sensor. The system comes with five games and I ordered two more discs which contain a lot more games for the Kinect. We won't play all the games, so I'll probably trade the ones we won't play for something else. Daughter loves video games. I think maybe some of the Kinect games would be good for her getting some activity while she's playing games, rather than sitting in front of the TV.

I know, I should make her turn it off and read or something more often. 

I'm sure some of the games will also be something we can do together or take turns. 

Watching her play video games has shown me she has very fast reflexes. It was never a question that she has excellent problem solving skills.

Not much else to write about tonight. Just taking my medicine and getting to bed early. Early for me, that is.

Maintenance

This week I have to get down and dirty with vehicle maintenance. Both the car and the bike. 

I have to admit at this point in my life, I hate doing vehicle maintenance. Though not as much as I hate paying exorbitant prices to incompetent people to do it for me. I have never yet put my vehicle in a shop and come out of it feeling that I was not cheated in some way. 

It is a fact of life, though. So, I spent a tidy sum tonight on supplies to do maintenance on both vehicles. Flush the engine and transmission on the car, change the fluids to those and the oil filter. (I just changed the transmission filter last year, so that should not be needed.) Plus synthetic oil for the bike. Partial synthetic for the car engine. 

The car has not been shifting gears properly. I think it's related to either fluid level or condition. Maybe combination of both. The fluid is really dark, so a fluid change (at least as well as I can manage without dropping the fluid pan) is in order. 

Also going to go ahead and change that front stem valve on the bike. Better to change it now than be stuck on the side of the road. Do an oil change and tune up. May not have a lot of summer left but I want to get some rides in this year. 

Daughter was with me this weekend. She wasn't interested in going to the tile class at Home Depot. That won't stop me from teaching her things around the house and car, though. I'll hold off on fluid changes until she's older and has her own vehicle. Can teach her how to check things and change a tire, though. 

We didn't do much this weekend. Watched some movies and ate at a restaurant. 

I'm planning for the next week I have off in a few weeks. Not leaving for long, just a couple of days. Going to go see Santa Fe National Forest, the Jemez Mountains and Bandelier National Monument. I'll get a fishing license before then and we can go fishing and swimming in a couple of lakes in northern NM. 

I have decided to blow some money on an XBox. Probably not the newest version but a 360. Newest versions cost considerably more. They may be worth it but I just can't see spending that much. A bog thing here is that daughter is seriously getting into gaming. However, all the games she is playing are alone. I would like it of we shared the games, or at least I could see what she is playing if I am not. 

Slightly lazy start

Off to a slightly lazy start this morning. 

One big problem for me in the morning is that I most often wake up with stomach problems. It goes away after a while but I don't have much energy until it does. Not so much pain but pressure. It has gone beyond question that one result of that pressure is toxins being forced into my bloodstream.

So, that is also one of the reasons I don't have much of an appetite a lot of the time. More often I have to make myself eat than have discomfort from not eating. 

Daughter is with me this weekend. I haven't made any plans for the weekend. However, she seems to have tired of the children's workshops at Home Depot. I think I may start taking her to the adult workshops with me. They have one for installing tile tomorrow afternoon. We may go to that. I figure going to a few of those would be good life skills for her. Even if she never needs those skills, the knowledge builds confidence in a positive way. 

I'm also going to start teaching her other things. Her stepfather is teaching her to drive but has a rather large vehicle. I'm going to give her a shot at driving my car. Plus tart teaching her some vehicle maintenance. Some minor electrical work. Woodwork, etc. She is now strong enough, I know she is cautious enough and she has always been smart enough. 

Okay, I need to spend a few minutes cleaning before I leave to pick her up.

Nice conditions

I did just realize that lately the weather conditions are really good for getting things done. The average temperature this whole month is about 9 degrees cooler than the historical average for this time of year. This trend just started.

Normally around this time of year, I like the length of the days but it gets so hot it's hard to stay out for very long. By the time it cools down enough to be comfortable, the days have gotten much shorter and I have less daylight available. Right now, we have both daylight and decent temperatures. I will say it keeps raining a lot in the evenings but that's sporadic.

So, I need to get as much done as I can during these conditions because it is so rare.

9PM- Okay, not so much done this evening. Took the dog for a walk, washed dishes..okay, I had a lot of dishes. 

Got the stem valve installed in the rear tire and got that back on the bike. I still need to do the same with the front tire. The front tire should be easier. Less stuff to remove. It's also less of an issue. The rear tire and stem valve are more prone to dry rot because it's right next to the muffler, so the heat accelerates the process. Rear tire also holds most of the weight of the bike but the front gets more lateral wear from steering.

I still keep battling with people hell-bent on destroying this country. South Carolina signed a bill to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from the capitol grounds. Bexar County, TX made the decision to remove Confederate flags from government property except museums. The uproar from the right wing has been epic. People passing false information about the reasons for the Civil War. So, on one forum where someone told me I needed to read a history book, I looked up the declarations of war from the southern states. Posted those in response. All made reference to the right to own slaves. He shut up, so far.

The right wing has taken some very heavy hits in the last few weeks. The result is that they are being forced out of the shadows. For many years, they have been mostly hiding their bigotry. Now they are being forced to show their bigotry against the poor, any race that's not white, gay people and more. (They've never hidden their hatred for non-Christians but it is coming more to the fore.) 

The thing I hate the most about their attitudes and beliefs is that it goes directly against the basis of Christianity. On many occasions now, I have directly confronted entire groups of Christians using quotes from their Bible..to soundly prove them wrong. Of course, it doesn't change them. The point of their behavior has nothing to do with their religion, it only has to do with arrogance and hate. However, I can strip away the veneer of respectability they attempt to paint on themselves by using religion as a rationale. I have no desire to attack the religion. Very much the opposite. If they claim to be Christians, I want them to act according to the beliefs actually taught by that religion. 

Oh, well. Gandhi said "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians." 

Bead breaker

So, now that I got the rear tire removed from the bike, I started checking on places that work on motorcycle tires.

I f'ing hate New Mexico.

Checked with two motorcycle shops. One wanted $25 per tire to replace the tire valves. Another place was better. Only $19.75 per tire. WTF? Replacing a tire valve takes like two minutes per tire. Tire valves cost shops (who buy in bulk) like a quarter each. 

None of the tire shops anywhere near me work on motorcycle tires. They say they don't have the right equipment. It takes the same damn equipment as car tires! So, true. They lack the right equipment but not the equipment they're referring to!!

Pep Boys sells motorcycle tires..but they don't mount them on the rims. 

I decided I will not give in to such highway robbery or incompetence. This evening, I drove over to Harbor Freight and bought a bead breaker. Got home, it went together in like 5-6 minutes. Then I was able to break the bead all the way around one side of the tire in about a minute. 

Then I got tired and hungry. Had to cook dinner, feed the dog, fill the hummingbird feeders and eat my own dinner. 

I'll install the new valve tomorrow. 

The bead breaker did cost $50. The same as doing both tire valves at one shop, more than the other. However, it means I won't have to pay more in the future if I replace the tires or valves. I can order new tires and have them delivered much cheaper than buying locally. It can be used for car tires, also. 

I could have done this without the special tool. I have a tire tool. However, there is the risk of ripping the tire or injuring myself. I've been known to be very innovative for such things. Like jacking up a vehicle, using a tool or piece of lumber and lowering the vehicle on the tire. However, that kind of thing is highly dangerous. Seen tires shoot out from under the vehicle. Tires are strong and flexible. Tire irons are known to bounce back if you lose your grip and can come back with enough force to break your skull and even kill you. That's why tire shops use special tools. Since I currently have it, I'd rather spend the money and be safe. 

I had my voice back enough to work the phones today. It wasn't all that easy but I made it through the day. By the end of the day my voice was stronger. However, I think when my voice comes back completely, I have the feeling my voice may be as much as a full chord lower than before. If my voice gets much lower it will be below the range of human hearing! They'll have to measure my voice by seismology. My voice is already deep enough to sound like someone twice my size. 

Okay, I need to finish dinner, take a bath and get to bed.

Still cracking

My voice is still cracking. Tired and made it through a few calls this morning but my voice kept getting worse. So, went back to written again. I am a little faster at it but it's still hitting my income. Oh, well. May not be good for me but good for the company because they've been asking people to volunteer to do all written. I'm still treating myself as I was last night. 

I'm feeling tired and seriously achy. Had not been on the scale for a while until a few minutes ago. I am way down. I haven't felt this way for long, so my weight dropped in the last day or two. Have to pack in some calories tonight. 

Maybe I can use that as an excuse for the house being a mess.

You find some surprising things if you go on foot through my neighborhood. Add to the list of animals in the area. Aside from dogs, cats, horses, chickens, goats, donkeys, mules, burros, rabbits, ostriches.. Now someone nearby is raising sheep. 

I also came across a couple of abandoned red plum trees today. They were right on a trail along one of the aqueducts. I filled one cargo pocket with plums! They're tiny but the trees are truly abandoned and have not been cared for in many years. I think I'll take a small bag of fertilizer and spread it around them sometime soon. Maybe next year the plums will be larger!

Grow lights

I still had to stick with written cases today, which means it has a negative impact on my income. My voice just isn't back again. So, tonight it's time to get down and dirty. Going to engage some practices that are disturbing and disgusting to clear my throat and sinuses. Boiling filtered water with salt for it right now. 

Oh, well. Aside from the voice problem, I don't feel bad. Some sinus congestion when I first wake up but it does go away. 

I went ahead and ordered some formal LED grow lights a few minutes ago. They probably won't arrive for a while, since they ship from Hong Kong. Still, $15 for four of them is a much better price than anything that would arrive faster. There was only one review which initially stated (and later revised) that these bulbs aren't very bright. I can use them in conjunction with reflectors. If that doesn't work, I can place aluminum foil or Mylar opposite to the lamps to increase the light level. Or a combination of all the above. 

Going to give another shot at the bike wheel. Think I will find the breaker bar and block the bike up before trying. 

8 PM- Finally got the bike wheel off. Unfortunately, I can't get the tire off the rim. Just going to have to find a bike repair shop for that. Car tires are difficult to take off rims. Bike tires are made of harder rubber and have less slack to play with. 

I had to replace a couple of micro-sprinklers in the back yard. I had knocked a couple of them apart when trimming grass. As I replace them, I'm putting them on stakes, which requires the new sprinkler, the stake, tubing and another fitting. That also raises them up, so they don't get hidden in the grass (reducing their range) and I'm less likely to damage them while trimming grass. 

Rather interesting thing. The high expected tomorrow is only 79 degrees. Historical average for this time of year is 91 degrees. 

Nothing special going on tonight. Watching a couple of shows and getting to bed.

Cooler

This afternoon was considerably cooler than it has been. Amazingly cool for July in New Mexico. I am definitely not complaining.

Wasn't able to get the rear wheel off the bike yet. Kind of frozen in place. Sprayed the axle bolt with WD 40 and letting it sit. Give it a try tomorrow. I did try it after a few minutes with no luck. I may have to set the frame on cinder blocks to get it loose. Not certain yet but breaking the bead on the tire may require more imagination. Old Army tricks are coming back to me. 

I did get more pumpkin, watermelon and cucumber seeds planted this afternoon. 

Forgot the pie pumpkin seeds. Get those planted tomorrow. 

The solarium seems to be turning into an aviary! Not only have I seen hummingbirds but doves, pigeons and lots of smaller birds hanging out there. Very cool! 

Well, didn't complete as much as I had planned on this weekend but made a good effort. I can get other things done during the week.

After the decisions of the US Supreme Court this past week, I am revising my predictions regarding a modern civil war. Those decisions have actually decreased the chances of that. Mostly because it demonstrates that the government is not blind and deaf to American concerns. Not in the clear yet but have taken steps back from the edge. 

Decent day

Today seems to be a decent day. The high is expected to be below 90 and cloudy this afternoon. Good weather for getting some things done.

Yes, I'm getting a slightly late start and going to be lazy a little longer. 

Down side is that temperatures are already beginning to decrease. So, the garden areas I have not yet covered with plastic need to be done now or the chance of killing off grass and weeds drops along with the temperatures. 

Oh, well. As I said before I wasn't counting on a whole lot from the garden this year besides tomatoes.

On the other hand, the cucumber vines are looking decent. Not flowering or anything yet. What is this? My third try at them this year? Going to plant some more seeds today and hope things stay in their temperature range long enough to produce some fruit. 

No pumpkin plants yet. Plant more of those today, also. No giants this year. Bummer. Oh, well. Hope the steps taken this year remove or at least reduce damage from squash bugs next year. 

Hard to believe it's July and summer is winding down a bit. Wonder what that means about the coming winter?

12:30 PM- Yes, still being primarily lazy. Right now I am waiting for those clouds to roll in. I would not mind if it started raining, either. Weather service say there is a flash flood watch but radar shows no such thing. Just clouds. 

Still having really bad allergies. 

I did go microwave more potting soil. Getting ready to plant some seeds. Also did a load of laundry.

In the end, if I wait until around 2 PM and start working on things, keep going until around 8, that's 6 hours of work today. 

4:45 PM- Repeated the microwave soil with a few more pots. See how they do.

Stapled down the last of the black plastic in the garden. I need to buy some more to complete the job. Just a few feet short. Blech.

Treated the soil near the pomegranate and grape vine with acid. See if that perks them up. Tossed some phosphorous down, also. Looked up pictures and that appears to be the problem, at least with the pomegranate. Possible it's potassium but every time I've tested the soil the potassium was good to high. Not likely to be the issue. Potassium doesn't deplete as easily as N or P. 

Had to tie back the tomato plants some more. Lots of tomatoes hanging now! I think I should start having ripe ones in another week or two. Unless these keep growing to a much larger size. Then it will be longer. I'm fine with waiting if it means bigger fruit!

I still have three tomato plants which I have not set in the ground. One in a big pot because it looked really weak when I was planting out. Two which I raised from cuttings in smaller pots. Now the problem is that the existing plants have bushed out so much I don't have any room in the tomato patch for these! I think these will just be kept in large containers so I'll be able to move them to the solarium when weather gets cold. See how long into fall and winter I can keep them going and producing. 

Haven't gotten to the bike tires yet. Going to do that next. 

Later on

About 7 PM.

So, I got out and removed some of the fluid from the transmission. Not sure I removed enough. Looks like it from the dipstick. However, I may need to replace the fluid again soon. Looks rather dark. Pretty sure I'm right and a pocket of old fluid loosened up and mixed with the rest. The fluid looked fine before vacation. Oh, well. 

I was able to remove the fluid with an old 10 mL syringe I still had and some drip irrigation tubing. Tedious but still better than removing the whole pan. I still have the tubing and syringe if I need to remove more. Have to take a test drive to be sure. 

Trimmed the grass in the back yard. Wore a mask the whole time. Throat feels a little scratchy but better than most of this week.

Someone broke in my car again. Same person as before. I know who it is and saw them on video. The only thing they got was a couple of flashlights. They were seriously bold this time, breaking in the car at 11:45 at night. I moved the sensor for the motion sensing light. Also moved the light so it illuminates the car better. Then put new batteries in the motion sensing alarm and mounted the motion sensor on the fence next to the driveway. This time they also messed with the mailbox. Which would make it a Federal crime..if I turned them in. Not going to do that. Instead, I am going to confront them. I am also going to keep the bow and arrow and the sword next to the door. If they touch my property again, the only time the police will be involved is to identify the body. Maybe. Then again, I do have a big back yard, a tiller and a shovel. Not a matter of the value of what they took, just the fact that they did so. Invasion and destruction of my property does not go over well with me.

I got a few small fireworks for tonight. Nothing major. Not nearly as much fun without kiddo. Happy it has rained a bit the last couple of days and the humidity is high now. Means a lot less risk of fires from idiots who can't control fireworks. I'm sure they'll manage to set something on fire with enough effort, though. 

9:45 PM- 

Not much else to write. Did the fireworks. Dug out the clamp on reflector lamp, set that up for the plants. 

Ran acid and fertilizer through the irrigation lines. The pomegranate bush is looking a bit weak. So is the grape vine I place in the garden. I suspect it's sodium (and hence alkaline soil). If they don't look better tomorrow, I'll have to treat the soil near both of them directly with acid. I really only have to keep them supported like that until their roots grow deep enough to reach the water table. 

A lot of very large fireworks being set off tonight in my area. Wouldn't bother me but there are some true idiots in my area. Already heard multiple sirens. I expect some people are going to get seriously injured here this year.

Happy 4th, 2015!

Looks like I am finally over the respiratory crap I've been dealing with this week. Yay! 

Of course, that doesn't mean completely over allergies but over the severe stuff I've been going through. I feel much better this morning. Not sure about my voice because I haven't been walking around and talking to myself. 

Last afternoon/evening I rented a bunch of movies and just hung out, watching them. On occasion I did have coughing spasms. I was coughing up almost pure white stuff. The significance of that is that it shows flushing out of damaged cells to make way for new cells. That's how respiratory cells renew themselves and get rid of old, damaged tissue. 

Okay, still happening this morning, though less frequently or violently. Happened just as I finished last paragraph. 

Have some things I have to do this weekend. Been having a problem with the transmission shifting properly. Checked the fluid yesterday and the fluid was too high! I have not added any fluid since before the road trip. So, the only theory I can come up with is that some fluid was trapped somewhere (probably the radiant cooler) by a plug of sediment. (There was a lot of sediment when I first got the car.) All the hard driving must have loosened that plug and released the fluid behind it. So, I have to drain some of the fluid out. Haven't figured out how I'm going to do that yet. There's no drain plug on a transmission.

Going to get to at least the rear bike tire today. If that and the above go quickly enough, I'll do the front tire and tune the bike. 

Also need to trim the grass. It's getting knee high in the back yard. Going to wear a heavy duty face mask while doing that. 

Not much else going on here. May write more later.

11:20 AM- Haven't gotten moving yet. Not going into why but has to do with eating too much jalapeno bacon chicken and rice last night. That problem is resolving. 

I need to set up lighting for the cannabis plants today. I've read in a number of places where they grow faster with artificial lighting. However, the guy I talked to yesterday advised using artificial lighting 24/7 to get the cuttings to root. Right now I'm not going to go all out for some expensive grow lights. I'll use CFC bulbs, natural daylight color. Though I did find a set of four LED grow lights on Amazon for $15. I may get those at a later date. 

Got a tip online yesterday that another dispensary has a cloning class 1-2 times a month and at the end of the class you allegedly get 6 free clones. Definitely need to check into that. The same dispensary also has a location already open in Los Lunas. My current dispensary has been talking for some time about a location there but has missed several opening dates. Not sure I can be a member at multiple dispensaries. If not, I want to go check this place out before just changing. Ask some questions and get more information. 

One problem I have with my current dispensary is that the inventory is constantly changing and not many options for high CBD content. The one I got a tip on sounds more medically oriented. My current dispensary is really nice and professional but the longer I go there seems like it is being run by some legal stoners trying out different strains while making money. Good people, valid advice, friendly and clean but not so stable. The one I want to check out seems slightly more expensive but if they offer higher CBD strains and more stability it would be worth a little more money. 

As it is, the biggest reason I keep trying different strains is because of changing inventory. That has resulted in learning things which offer unexpected benefits but I think I've reached the point where I have maximized the learning curve. 

Cuttings!

Since I have the day off, I got up and drove over to the dispensary this morning. I walked in with perfect timing. When I first got there, I looked at the section where they keep the cuttings. The space was empty and the grow lamp was turned off. I almost left but decided to wait my turn and ask if they had some in the back. Seconds before my name came up, a female employee walked out with a full tray of cuttings, placed them on the shelf and turned the lamp on. Yay!

So, I finally got some cuttings. Just two of them, one Indica dominant and one pure Indica.

They gave them to me in small clear plastic cups with domed lids with a hole in it. (They're actually Slurpee cups.) I came home and taped some cheesecloth over the holes, then placed them in the office window. 

They gave me a sheet with growing tips. I have done some reading before about growing but fixed on one thing which was prominent on this sheet. They advise a much higher humidity level than my previous plants have been exposed to. Maybe that is just as much or more of a problem than the white flies. 

So, in addition to the cuttings, I am going to give another shot at growing with the few seeds I have left. Before doing that, I am going to microwave the soil to kill off any insect eggs. Then try something different than I have been doing. I need to get some clear or translucent, semi-rigid plastic which I can use to form domes around the plants. Then place cheesecloth on the top of those. Just as an added measure, I will spray the cheesecloth with insecticide. 

The forecast says there is a chance of rain this afternoon. If no rain, it's at least supposed to cloud up a bit. I'm still feeling a bit easily fatigued, especially in extreme heat. Going to wait a little bit and then go out and work on the bike. If it does NOT rain, I'll also put on a mask and trim the grass. 

Mickey Mouse

Well, my breathing mostly continues to improve. However, I still had to remain on written today. When I tried talking this morning, I would get out 2-3 words, then start sounding like Mickey Mouse..with laryngitis. 

Things got better this afternoon. It rained, washing much of the cottonwood pollen out of the air. It's still very humid and high chance of rain this weekend. Hopefully by the time the rain passes the trees will be past their pollination stage. 

Got some good news today. We have tomorrow off! I didn't even know it until there was an email offering OT for tomorrow. 

So, if I can breathe well enough, I'm going to fix up the bike and get to the dispensary tomorrow. 

Still no luck with growing things by seed. I want to see if I can get some cuttings. Last time they advised me to call before driving over. So I'll do that. 

Lost voice

I've been able to breathe still slightly better today. With a few instances of congestion which were really bad. However, I had to ask my boss to let me work written cases today. All day. Because my voice was cracking and fading so badly I could not speak. I made it through like one or two calls this morning before I gave in. Just wasn't going to work.

I'm rather slow at written cases. I strive a lot more for accuracy on those than speed. So, a result of today is that my case count was low. That's on top of being down a couple of hours on Monday. And last week's vacation is on the same check. So my next check is going to pretty much suck.

After work, I tried getting up and moving around. Could barely walk through the house without getting winded so badly I had to sit. 

Hmm. I do know my allergies were horrible as a child. So bad I would bleed from my nose and eyes. They constantly had me on Dramamine just to be able to function. Does that mean I was a drug addict before I could walk? Yikes. It's my understanding that at the time I was the youngest child to ever undergo a full battery of dermal skin allergy testing, where they inject tiny amounts of allergens under the skin. 142 injections. That was how I learned about my penicillin allergy. 

Oh, well. Hopefully my voice will be okay tomorrow. Better now, though not back to normal yet.

Well, the tomato plants are still surprising me this year. I have about 4 ft between rows. Yet they are bushing out so much that it is becoming difficult to walk through the 4 ft space because they are stretching all the way across the walkways! I also need to tie them up and give them more support, even though I just did that on Sunday!

I tried something a little different with the cannabis plants. I spread some powdered garlic and cayenne around the plants. Hoping that does some good.