Cool and nice, like yesterday. Granted it did get warmer by late afternoon, and in the abundant sun,but it started cool and was cool in the shade. Not exactly dry, but nice.
Yesterday was a mixed bag of getting stuff done. I did get my two pickups done, one by IAH one by HOU, so not exactly efficient for gas or time, but many useful household things were acquired at bargain prices. It was a ‘pick the child up from school’ afternoon, so that limited my ability to get things done.
I did start loading stuff back into the Expedition. I still have to go through my work tools and supplies and cut back where I can and organize the rest, but I could throw all the bins into the truck and go to work tomorrow if needed. I have insurance coverage on the new truck, and the sirius/xm radio should be activated. Still need to pair my phone, do any updates to the OS and apps, and mess with the Sync functions of the ‘info-tainment’ system.
I really need to get the pickup truck in to the repair place. The problem is, it’s my ‘work’ truck and I generally load a bunch of stuff into the back at least once a week if not more often. Everything I have on my list at my secondary location requires the pickup. I’m going to have to suck it up and just get the repairs done.
One big difference between my old Expy and the new one, the old one had the shifter on the steering column, and a HUGE center console. The new one has the shifter in the center, and a tiny little console, with part of the space taken up by a power point and two usb ports. I don’t think I can even get a locking container into the tiny little thing. Aside from the storage issue, there isn’t any room for a ham radio or scanner. There was tons of room in the old truck. I’m trying to find room behind the dash or behind other panels in the new Expy. I can remote mount the control head for my dual band radio and bury the main body wherever it fit, but it’s just that much more work. If I don’t do it as part of ‘moving in’ to the new truck, it probably won’t get done though. Lists, I’ve got ’em.
Speaking of radios, the scanner was chock full of encrypted traffic for the last couple of days. HPD on their ‘tactical’ channels, and on their ‘homeland security’ channels, squawking all day. I can’t understand the traffic, but I can note the increase… and Baytown has been running disaster training scenarios on the radio all week too. Good to know they’re working on rescues and multi-victim structure fires. That SCBA gear sure makes it difficult to understand the firefighters on the radio but that’s a small price to pay for the lives it saves. Someone is also running surveillance on drug dealers, with a big buy op yesterday evening. If you’re not listening in to your local action, you should be.
You all know the drill, get to stackin’.
nick
SCBA Comms. On the submarine we used a similar piece of gear: EAB. Basically a Scott air pack except fed by a hose instead of a tank. It had an 8 foot hose and you are never more than 8 feet from a EAB manifold. Part of quals was learning where the hard to find manifolds are.
We also used sound powered phones for comms. VERY hard to hear when everyone is wearing EAB’s and talking on them. Caused a lot of damage because the phone talker misunderstood, and repeated back and was misunderstood. They substituted DC for AC in a command. Turned off the wrong lube oil pumps.
Practice doesn’t always make perfect. Of course without practice it is MUCH worse.
59F and 99%RH at 630am. Chilly! and damp.
n
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-prepared-disconnect-swift-payment-system-foreign-ministry
–it’s coming. You don’t spend all the time money and effort to free yourself from outside influences, then not do it.
n
That’s not quite true, though the requirements for doing much more on the roadside include more tools, parts, and expertise than most people possess.
My van has a toolbox with full socket sets, wrenches, many pliers, crowbar, drivers, and what-not. It’s pushing fifty pounds. A floor jack, because it’s safer and more broadly usable than a scissor or ratchet jack and the van has the room so why not. A decent collection of bolts, hoses, hose clamps, sealants, light bulbs, and so on. Quart or gallon bottles of fluids. A tarp. Several lights.
The biggest parking lot repair I’ve had to do was disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling the starter on a previous car. All else being equal I’d rather have put in a new one, but I didn’t know the area, it was evening, the only auto parts store I found didn’t have one, and I needed to get the van running now, not the day after tomorrow. Most people wouldn’t have been able to do it, but without the big toolkit I wouldn’t have been able to, either.
Had my second Moderna shot yesterday at 1500. No symptoms as of right now – arm isn’t even sore.
Re: car tool kits – I keep a pair of screwdrivers, an adjustable wrench, a pair of pliers, and a utility knife in each car. I will load in more tools for an out of town trip – socket set and code reader being the two major items. I also put in a thick piece of plywood to use as a base for the jack.
I keep meaning to get a spare tire for my ATS (originally came with run flat tires). Two things keep holding me back. One, I almost never take it out of town, since it really only holds two people and there are three of us. Second, there is a company that makes one. With the jack it’s around $400. Oh, and for a bonus, there is no where to store the spare, so it would sit in the trunk, taking up space. What I should really do is get a spare wheel and have a tire put on it and keep it in the garage. Since I’m usually in the local area, I would just be out time to get back to retrieve it and slap it on.
One of the biggest lessons learned from folks moving around in the hurricane debris field after an event is the necessity of mounted spare tires. If you have to traverse a debris field or pass thru an area with widespread destruction (mainly roofs off) you need to change the tire and keep going. Then plug and reinflate the original so you can continue.
I have a mounted spare for the trucks on each truck, plus a mounted spare for the expy in storage.
n
BTW, how do you like the ride on the run flats? I heard they were stiff and noisy…
https://www.ammunitiondepot.com/wm193200-winchester-lake-city-5-56-55-grain-m193-fmj.html
Has ammo in stock and prices are in line with everyone else.
n
Flat tires, funny, I was just discussing that with the wife yesterday. I don’t even know how to get at the spare in our car, or whether it has air. Flat tires have become so incredibly rare – we had a puncture about 20 years ago. Before that, no idea, maybe another 15-20 years back.
The car came with the original run flats. I didn’t think they were bad at all. I replaced them with non run flats. A little quieter and a little more grip. I’m actually thinking about going back to them. I read a lot of bad things about them in forums, but take that with a grain of salt. The negative comments usually come from the same people who put a K&N air filter in their car and claim 40 more horsepower.
Better add feminine products to the list.
Whenever I take the care in to get the tires rotated (free service from the place where we bought tires) or to have a slow leak fixed I ask them to please check the tire pressure in the spare. I have no idea if they actually do it, but better than nothing. I have one of those donut spares like most cars these days hidden under the floor of the trunk. So, it should be noted that if you’re going to ask a shop to check the spare that your trunk not be loaded full of crap. That would just be a dick move.
Speaking of tire rotation. Ever notice that with TPMs in all the tires you really can’t rotate them yourself anymore? At least, not without the TPMs being associated with the wrong tire. You’ll get a tire pressure warning for the driver’s side front tire and really it’s the rear tire because you rotated them and don’t have the tool for reprogramming which TPM is where. I did google up some instructions for doing it manually. Essentially, it involved holding down the reset button for several seconds until you get prompted to reset TPMs. Then, starting with the passenger front tire and slowly releasing air until the horn honks and then moving clockwise around the vehicle doing that to each tire. I could never get it to more than half work and gave up on it. The shop can do it.
<quote>Ever notice that with TPMs in all the tires you really can’t rotate them yourself anymore?</quote>
Our car is too old – no such thing. I have an old-fashioned tire pressure gauge 🙂
Still, even that isn’t really necessary. I haven’t actually had to put air in our tires for years. We have the annual service in the Fall, they air them up, and they’re good through the next Fall.
Wow – I had never thought about that. I’ll keep rotating my own tires anyways. If I get a low alert, it’s easy enough to check all four. I also check the spare tire (if equipped) at every tire rotation. I do tire rotations every other oil change. Rotating your tires is a great way to keep an eye on your brake wear, shock/strut condition, suspension condition, etc.
The car came with the original run flats. I didn’t think they were bad at all. I replaced them with non run flats. A little quieter and a little more grip. I’m actually thinking about going back to them. I read a lot of bad things about them in forums, but take that with a grain of salt. The negative comments usually come from the same people who put a K&N air filter in their car and claim 40 more horsepower.
I had a K&N installed as an experiment in my older car, but I pulled it in favor of a stock STP disposable when I started seeing periodic evap code problems reported by the OBD scanner with a “check engine” light. I suspect that the larger particulates allowed by the K&N were an issue for the sensors.
I didn’t see any difference in mileage, noise, or power. Running ethanol free gas made more of a difference.
One of the biggest lessons learned from folks moving around in the hurricane debris field after an event is the necessity of mounted spare tires. If you have to traverse a debris field or pass thru an area with widespread destruction (mainly roofs off) you need to change the tire and keep going. Then plug and reinflate the original so you can continue.
Take the time to rehearse a tire change on every vehicle you own if you haven’t already.
Difficult access to the spare was the #1 thing I hated about my wife’s 4Runner, and I learned about it the hard way in the driving rain one Saturday night in Tampa when AAA was backed up for four hours while I was stuck in a marginal area of town.
I sensed I had quite an audience for the tire change, but the time was late dinner hour so the CHUDs were not yet fully awake. Plus, the rain ruins the pricey sneakers.
I can do my ranger in a matter of minutes.
The expy jack takes a long time to extend, huge gear ratio.
n
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9548013/TikTokers-claims-theres-serial-killer-Illinois-town-eight-bodies-eight-weeks.html
–double the normal 4 bodies per year….
and note that the statistics are meaningless when translated to “standard x/100k” when you end up multiplying to get to 100k.
Rockford is interesting. It’s become a regional hub, and has an airport. When I was a kid, it was so far out of town, you drove there for the day and went antique shopping in the quaint small town. My feeling is they’ve had a dindu nuttin invasion, as CHicongo has made a concerted effort to push their misery out of the city farther and farther every year.
n
n
Maybe bath salts?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9547121/Chicago-man-28-bites-chunks-husband-wifes-EARS-brutal-attack.html
–why carry a gun when you’re doing yard work? Um….
n
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9546981/Mother-disabled-teen-shot-Seattles-CHOP-area-suing-paramedics-not-responding-time.html
–“teen boy”
No mention of the two people shot and killed by SPAZ “security” in a jeep at one of the “checkpoints”. Memory hole.
n
–for future reference.
n
Speaking of spare tires, Borepatch had this dad joke today….
Dad Joke LXXII
I had a joke about a flat tire but I think I’ll spare you.
n
Those crazy Amish:
Flight club! Another massive brawl breaks out at Miami International Airport ‘over masks’, one week after seven people fought over seats on a plane
Just waking up…
Wow, Nick. After you get that new car loaded, there is little room for cargo. Ever consider a box trailer? Not a serious question.
Graduated HS in Rockford, lived there off and on during my early 20’s. As a 3 shift manufacturing town, it has always had it’s “interesting” neighborhoods. The contiguous Loves Park is the low rent redneck zone. The West side is largely Amish and headlines are typical. Estwing tools and Amerock hardware are still large presences.
I had to laugh at the “small” town reference. When I lived there Rockford claimed to be Illinois’ 2nd largest city, just a bit behind the behemoth to the east, at 150k. Aurora and other burb towns kept 2nd place competitive.
I note the referenced article casts a wide net for the body list, including other counties and one mention of the Mississippi river, a good hour journey west at freeway speeds.
Yep, a surprising number of those bodies were pulled from the rivers… makes one wonder how many end up in the rivers that DON’T get pulled out.
Rivers make sense.
Stumbling across bones in the woods, that looks a lot more sketchy.
n
Alabama standards look low, and surprise, the FBI would rather a predator walks free than embarrass themselves with a prosecution.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9547273/Trooper-charged-child-rape-hid-checkered-FBI-past.html
n
As for flat tires, I get them enough to plan for the event. Locally, I am rarely more than a few miles from home, so I simply call the wife and have her pick me up. She had a flat once, and liked my concierge service. In all cases, I then returned to the car and changed it using a spare I keep in the garage and a good jack. Simple.
All my cars except two have had full service spares. I even have one that has a matching decorative wheel as a spare. I have used that a few times. Those days are now gone. My newest trip car has a donut spare. It also has TPMS, a feature I really like. On our first trip out of town, I got a TPMS warning. A rear tire had a screw in the tread. I was about 20 easy miles from where we were staying, so I simply added enough air to get there. Then the fun began. Since we were visiting family, I couldn’t get to the flat until the next morning. By then, it was completely flat, so I put the donut on. I didn’t yet have a plug kit or air compressor in that car, an oversight, but it was a car new to me. Preps: there will always be something needed and not handy. I had to drive to an auto parts store (on a major holiday) to get a plug kit. Once back, I fixed the tire and used a compressor borrowed from a neighbor to inflate it.
That taught me. I don’t like temporary spares. I also will never (a really long time) have run flat tires. I need a spare I can use for at least a couple hundred miles at highway speeds. I would rather carry a real spare on trips.
BTW, most 12V air compressors are a joke. Ever try to inflate a fully flat tire? It is better than nothing in an emergency, but I swear a good manual tire pump (remember those?) is faster. I used to carry one of those, but let a friend “borrow” it and never bothered to get it back. Mistake. Some dirt bikers carry small CO2 kits they claim can inflate a motorcycle tire. Need to look into those. Would take less storage space than a compressor. Might take multiple cartridges, but they are small and cheap.
I watched the Starship launch and successful landing yesterday. Amazing! This is a real milestone – the first successful flight of a reusable rocket system. Landing on the ship was a huge step, and this is even more important – an actual reusable rocket system rather than just recovering the first stage.
There are many more steps. Orbital flights, the Moon, then Mars. I expect people will die during those steps, people who know the risk they are taking. I trust Elon is strong enough to withstand the negative publicity and attacks from the “no-one can die” crowd.
Oh! Rockford’s other claim to infamy is pushing the EAA out to Oshkosh, WI for their annual fly-in due to s-a-a-a-a-fety concerns. That airport gets Chamber of Commerce hopes as a 3rd major for Chicago. There is a UPS hub. OTOH, picked my uncle up once early evening a decade ago. They closed and locked the terminal and killed the lights after his plane arrived.
Texas is one step closer to Constitutional Carry. Every State should do it.
@jimB, it actually doesn’t take up that much room for the preps. I’ve got the equivalent of 4 flip top bins of tools and install supplies that ride on top of it.
Other than the two rubbermaid tubs, and the flat of water, most of the stuff tucks into nooks and crannies. I’m having to move some around and edit a bit, because of that smaller center console, and I only moved stuff to the second matching bin for this truck. Before that it was in a flip top bin.
Of the preps in the truck, I’ve use the spare oil more than once. I usually stick a quart under the hood someplace where it won’t fall out too. I’ve used the jumper cables, the road flares, and of course, the fire extinguishers, several times. The first aid stuff gets used far too often, but only once for a serious wreck- that car ended up burning to the ground and the driver had a bad compound fracture of her lower leg.
I have used the warm clothes and the blankets several times.
Clean up stuff gets used too often. As an aside, I carry the clorox scrubby wipes in case I end up covered in someone else’s body fluids, but they work great after changing a tire too 🙂 Dual use baby!
I used the soda during the ‘great half day flood’ in Houston to reward office staff at my kid’s school, and I drink the water all the time when I’m working and forget to bring something with me.
I burned up one of those tire inflators already, filling a tire back up.
Getting stuck at the kid’s school had me up the food from a few power bars to the MREs and sometimes a variety box of Mountain House.
Did I mention I’m a big fan of road flares? Nothing looks more official at a crash site. And I can link to at least two reported tragedies that probably wouldn’t have happened if the drivers had used a road flare to start a tire fire… that’s a signal that can be seen for miles.
I’ve also got a vehicle lockout kit, and some other bits and bobs tucked away. AND some kites. you never know when you might like to fly a kite.
n
Child #4 seems OK so far after her second jab of Pfizer’s COVID mecho-gene-splicing experimental pseudo vaccine.
I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012WHBSO/?tag=ttgnet-20
Easily can inflate a fully flat tire, though does take some time.
Also have one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G2MHE4/?tag=ttgnet-20
Much easier than cranking the ‘toy’ jacks that come with many cars.
One note – max height is designed for passenger cars. For my compact SUV I cut up a 2×8 into three sections and glued/screwed them together as a platform for the jack.
Lastly have one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Automotive-1721-Telescoping-Wrench/dp/B000CMJ2KU/?tag=ttgnet-20
Of course, first I’ll call the AAA and see how long the wait time is before deciding to change it myself.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9548261/Bidens-bizarre-story-hitting-1-5million-miles-Amtrak-unravels.html
Isn’t confusion over when things happened a sign of cognitive decline and alzheimers?
The lying is just a sign he’s a politician…
n
All those bodies found in the rivers but no gubs? Hmm, seeing as how many get lost in them…
My car has only one TPMS warning light, not one per tire. Guess I need a fancier car 😉
NASA does a really good job on:
planetary probes
space telescope operations
aeronautics research at the bleeding edge
lots of small things in R&D
The more political influence on the program, the worse it turns out. (i.e. SLS, Shuttle, etc.)
I should go dredging lol
Let’s see if the major news shows cover it.
mark w, check out “magnet fishing” on youtube
Some bridges are more productive than others….
n
I’ll second the recommendation of the Viair portable air compressors by @Alan (he linked this one; https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012WHBSO/?tag=ttgnet-20 – they have several models).
Mine didn’t work one day. It has a fuse inside, and I lost one of the pieces when I was checking the fuse – there’s a spring inside that wandered off into the recesses of my garage.
I called Viair to order the plug parts (spring, fuse, etc), and the guy said they would ship one to me at no charge. About a week later, the part came (wasn’t in a hurry to get it; had a low tire on the 2nd car that doesn’t get used much) and I put all the pieces together. Worked just fine.
Great customer service. Good little air compressor for tires, etc. Comes in a sturdy fabric case. Recommended.
Have one of these: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/fixa-17-piece-tool-kit-00169254/
Decent assortment for 10 bucks. And as @nick mentioned, been used more so far for non-auto needs. Last was changing a door lock for wife’s friend who didn’t have a single tool in her apartment.
Also throw in a couple of wire hangers and some zip ties. Both can be used to secure loose items under a car. Recall doing so once with a hanger for a loose muffler. XL zip ties, or duct tape, can also be used if you’re in a situation where you need to restrain someone while waiting for the PD.
@JimB: I always carry that stuff when on backcountry trips. Came across a two tire down rented Jeep with two German tourists on a dirt road in souther Utah, north side of Lake Powell. On tire totally shredded up like NASCAR event and the other had air leaked out. We put spare on replacing shredded with our tools as Jeep’s were ont present. Then I fixed the other with my can of aerosol snot sealent and 12v air pump.
Being a typical June day, we may have saved their lives. We camped up on nearby mountain and then went north to Escalante for breakfast the nexy morning.
Except for Hubble’s mirror. But agreed, they do unmanned exploration very well.
@CowboySlim –
Highway 12, Escalante to Boulder UT, along the ‘hogback’ – great scenic drive for passengers. Driver has to keep his eyes on the road.
Road is two-lane paved, 2-3 foot gravel shoulder, no guardrails, along the very top of a mountain range. 1000′ drop on either side. Hundred-mile view to Staircase National Park on one side, same distance view on other side.
Fun to drive, especially with full-size RV’s coming the other direction. A couple of skinny pullouts to stop for the view. But no guardrails there either. Great views. Somewhat scary to drive. It’s the back way out of Bryce Canyon, hooks up with I-70. Lots of varied geology.
Isn’t confusion over when things happened a sign of cognitive decline and alzheimers?
Yeah, Biden. Trump, though …
Alan, that little 12V compressor looks pretty good. I looked up CO2 inflators, and the small ones designed for bicycle tires are too small for car tires. There are larger ones, but they are pretty expensive, and big enough to defeat the compact aspect. Guess I will stick with the little air compressor I have. It was free from a relative, because the valve chuck broke. I repaired that, and now carry it. It can fail, however. I opened it up, and it is very crude. I would never use such a compressor while at home, but read on for a better solution.
I used to carry a 9 gallon air tank when we had an airplane to service. It is heavy, and big, but large enough to even run air tools, such as an impact wrench, briefly. When we tore down the old garage and built the new one, I had to figure out how to have air for the interim. I have a small 220V compressor, and that was good, but I wanted something as a backup. I bought a Harbor Freight pancake air compressor on sale for $40. It was discontinued, but there is another one back with better ratings. But, wait… the one I have has a DC motor that only draws a couple amps from 120 VAC, meaning it can operate from very long wimpy extension cords. I have tested that. It might even be able to run from a small inverter in a car. I have not tested that. It is a bit slow, but has a 3 gallon tank that can top off a few tires with no need for power. And, bonus, the whole thing is a little lighter and smaller than my air tank, making it supremely portable. I really like it. Oh, it is horribly noisy. My point is, this little compressor is smaller, lighter, and cheaper than many air tanks, and is very versatile. It is way faster than my 12V compressor. I have recommended these to a few people who have bought them as their only compressor for their garages, and they like them a lot.
If that compressor is not enough, there are many other small portable compressors that might serve as someone’s only air compressor. Some of them can run tools. I have had plumbed air in all my shops, and never thought how handy a small portable compressor could be instead of an air tank. I still keep that tank pressurized for emergencies.
Who cares if the White House is occupied by a senile pedo who stole the election? At least he doesn’t send out mean tweets!
Forgot. Alan, that electric scissor jack is nice, but I got a “trolley” hydraulic jack for free many years ago. For those who have never heard the term, these are small versions of a floor jack, but they are compact and weigh only about fifteen pounds. They are very versatile, and IMO way more convenient than what comes with cars today. Mine seems able to operate in various positions without leaking, and claims to be rated at something like a ton or so. It has a lot more lift range than a bottle jack, but those are good for a lot of things, too. One shortcoming is that it can’t tolerate lateral stresses, such as when trying to lift a heavy car on a slope. But then, that is never recommended. I wouldn’t carry it all the time in a car, because it is too big and heavy. All my cars came with jacks that work well for changing tires. Ask me how I know. 🙂
Who cares if the White House is occupied by a senile pedo who stole the election? At least he doesn’t send out mean tweets!
Oooh, I like that. Once again, the wisdom of Steve. I intend to send a dollar.
I rarely discuss politics, but this is pretty good:
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2021/05/06/clean-house-in-2025-n2588969
Send any flames directly to Kurt.
Has anyone heard from Dad Cooks or Harold lately ?
From across the border, it is easier to listen to the standard political lies told by the current president (attempts to please everyone) than it is to deal with the every morning drama of tweets from the diva former president (with lies designed to enrage everyone). The news is of course much less exciting, but I am Canadian: we like things to be mild and boring as well as polite rather than mean.
@TV, when I was working up there, I used to joke that Canadians considered mayonnaise to be a spice. … I usually just got puzzled looks from my Canadian co-workers, because OF COURSE it’s spicy…
😉
n
Of course, they also enjoy poutine…
”
Who cares if the White House is occupied by a senile pedo who stole the election?”
–let the healing begin!
n
and let’s skip the feeling of the hairy legs.
Let me get this straight… they prefer mayonnaise on burgers and gravy on fries, but ketchup potato chips are a big seller? What happened with the condiments in Canada? They got them all mixed up.
@ Rick: 10-4, Gone up Hwy 12 from Escalante to Boulder, Torrey, Hanksville and around to Moab. Great trip!
And from Esacante back to Bryce Canyon NP and then Zion NP. Great memories!
Hey, that poutine is Quebecois thing. As is Pepsi not Coke and a sweeter version of tomato soup (IIRC). I stay away from poutine, not because I don’t like it, but at my age I don’t need to eat something that looks like a heart-attack in a bowl that smells really good.
(One of our political cartoonists used to have a biplane flying in the sky dragging a sign witht he phrase “Mild isn’t it” in the background in every cartoon.)
I will admit to eating mayo on fries after so many years of Canadian influence.
n
Also I think a Quebecois thing though maybe more a “Belgian” thing. I think the first time I ever saw this was on my honeymoon (first wife) in Belgium in the early 1990s. Before you ask: no I don’t remember, or care, precisely when I actually married her. I do remember it being late-November and there is nothing so cold as high-humidity and near freezing temps. Damn that North Sea.
Yeah, pomme frites with mayo is/was big in Germany.
They do the same thing in Germany. People looked at our German exchange students strangely when the students would put mayonnaise on their french fries. What the Germans enjoyed the most was free fill-ups on drinks. Something that is unheard of in Germany.
I remember visiting the burger joint in Brugge and ordering a hamburger (a “Big Tom”). What I didn’t realize is there was a substantial extra charge for every topping (mustard, ketchup, etc…). Not a North American thing and quite a shock when you are honeymooning on a budget.
Almost 24 hours after the second moderna shot, I have a fever of 100, mild muscle aches, a headache, and arm is sore at injection point. I guess I didn’t get the placebo….
Sure you did. The needle was just dirty. 😈
Kidding. Feel better!
Had my second Moderna shot yesterday at 1500. No symptoms as of right now – arm isn’t even sore.
I had my second pfizer last Thursday. Monday at 4am my entire gastronomical system flushed. Also 5am, 8 am, 10 am, and 1pm. Then i got hungry.
I’ve been off-line for a bit as my wife passed on last Thursday the 29th. She never regained consciousness after her last surgery and would not eat or drink. Her DNI clearly stated that we were not to use artificial methods and her body was just too tired of the pain and constant surgeries. We brought her home on Hospice and she only lasted two days passing peacefully while I held her hand. It was a huge relief to her after years of constant pain but a tragic blow to us. We were planning our 50th anniversary this summer and had invited friends and relatives from all over the world. The event will now become a celebration of her life for all who can make it. With my mate of 50 years gone I am at loose ends don’t really know what to do. Everyone is giving me advice. After half a century together of being “US” I don’t know what it means to be “ME” and will have to work that out. My brothers in California have invited me to visit next month and I think I will do so as the idea of staying in out forever home alone is not attractive. With her illness of the last few years we have not been able to do the traveling we both loved. Before she left she made me promise to go back to Venice, one of our favorite places together. My son and his family have stepped up and are saying with me to help me through this hard patch and insisting that I eat when I just want to mope. He has brought my old Harley back to life and I may try riding it again once I get in shape. We used to ride all over the country on that bike. Loosing a spouse is an experience I would never wish on anyone and I am now understanding how some of my friends have felt. The root cause of her demise was her diabetes that was very badly treated by the NHS in the UK and led to heart attacks, kidney failure, and finally Calciphylaxis.
@hcombs. Truly sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing. Hope it helps.
Harold, losing someone that close for so long has to be very difficult. There is nothing I can say that will make it better, but please accept my condolences.
Sympathies, Harold.
If you can, see your great-granddaughter. Circle of life, and we live for our descendants.
…I am Canadian: we like things to be mild and boring as well as polite rather than mean.
It’s been a long time since I lived across the border from Windsor, but that fits. I think every Canadian I met was polite. Windsor was a very pleasant place to visit, especially when crossing from some of the worst parts of Detroit.
I was also influenced by New Yorkers. Many are crusty on the outside, but soft on the inside. The trick is in discovering which ones, and keeping them as friends. Yes, some of them rub us polite people the wrong way, but most don’t really mean it. Just part of personality.
@Harold: My condolences.
@Harold: sorry for your loss. Sound like you have lots of good friends and family to lean on.
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22john+s%22+site:ok.ru
Great bunch of old flicks, many film noir. Perfect antidote to the slick razzle-dazzle of Netflix today.
Harold, my condolences on your loss.
I’ve been off-line for a bit as my wife passed on last Thursday the 29th.
Sorry for your loss.
@jim …… I avoid any site from ‘.ru’. Not worth the security risk, IMHO.
YMMV.
One big difference between my old Expy and the new one, the old one had the shifter on the steering column, and a HUGE center console. The new one has the shifter in the center, and a tiny little console, with part of the space taken up by a power point and two usb ports. I don’t think I can even get a locking container into the tiny little thing.
Yes. I managed to find a 2019 F-150 with the optional console instead of the front middle seat with the shifter on the column instead of the console. And 4×4 with the Max Tow Package. And they knocked 25% off MSRP to boot. Those were the days !
@hcombs My sympathies in full.
Oh, I trust that site. I even gave them my phone number. NOT! 🙂
It’s a great collection, though. I’d gladly pay if some sevice built a library of old b&w movies.
“COVID-19 vaccine boosters likely needed every 9 to 12 months, Moderna president says”
https://www.fox26houston.com/news/covid-19-vaccine-boosters-likely-needed-every-9-to-12-months-moderna-president-says
“LOS ANGELES – COVID-19 vaccine booster shots may be necessary every nine to 12 months, according to Dr. Stephen Hoge — the president of vaccine manufacturer Moderna.”
I knew it.
@hcombs condolences l. I have near 40 years of marriage, so, I understand the feelings.
My condolences Mr. Harold.
Harold, I was afraid that might be the case. My sincerest condolences. I can’t imagine your loss.
Lean on anyone who offers, and take what comes at your own pace.
nick
“Remember “it’s for the environment” (graphic video warning)”
https://gunfreezone.net/remember-its-for-the-environment-graphic-video-warning/
I really, really, really hope that eagle and separated wing were props.
And the wind turbines kill millions of birds. Daily.
They have both trotters in the trough and nothing’s going to budge them out.
Ask Rand Paul
@hcombs. Truly sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing. Hope it helps.
Can’t say it better.
@Harold; sincere condolences to you and your family.
@lynn
Actually, according to the National Audubon Society, cats are a much higher threat to birds than wind turbines.
I found this interesting article about techniques to reduce bird deaths from wind turbines: https://www.evwind.es/2020/10/01/the-realities-of-bird-and-bat-deaths-by-wind-turbines/77477
Painting one turbine blade a contrasting color provides a bit reduction in bird deaths. Bats also have a problem with wind turbines, so in affected area, blasting a ‘bat jammer’ frequency reduces that. Tilling soil around the turbines reduces food sources that are used by birds flying around the turbines.
Also from that article:
From the article:
Also from the same article:
Time for the vaccine owners to start the $$$ rolling in – shareholders abide patriotism only so long.
@hcombs
Thanks for bringing us up to date. Even when the passing is a blessing it does nothing to heal the void in your life. Take Care.
I’ve been off-line for a bit as my wife passed on last Thursday the 29th.
@Harold, my condolences. I am glad that you have your family to lean on at these trying times.
Car jacking.
I mentioned a while back that I have a 24-in breaker bar multi-purpose tool and an impact socket in each vehicle. Avoids a hernia when the hotshot at the tire dealer rotated yours just after he worked on a dump truck, and forgot to dial the impact wrench back down.
All the vehicles have a jackstand and a couple chunks of 4×4 to chock wheels. And a full-sized spare in a protective plastic bag.
I carry a hydraulic jack in the truck. It was a Sunday ad loss leader for Sears about forty years ago. $14.99 IIRC. Two pieces of osb, one for under the jack, one to kneel on.
Misc. supplies: gloves, goggles, magnetic flashlight, cap visor light, spare lug nuts w/ 6-in magnetic tray (Ralphie!), spare metal valve caps (with gaskets), valve core tool and valve cores, valve stem extender, reflective vest, reflective emergency triangles, road flares (right on @Nick)
I bought some inexpensive (<$10) 12v inflators on a Black Friday sale about ten years ago. Branded Campbell-Hausfield. Little suckers do the job and I haven’t worn one out, but any small compressor is going to die quickly in high summer heat. I also have a Black and Decker VPX cordless lion inflator that is similar to the older VersaPak model, and also discontinued. When that packs it in I’ll get the Dewalt 20V bare tool, which now apparently comes with the 12V cord included, although not the AC cord (I need to look first and see if it’s a proprietary connector).
I’m sure the fed has paid them for every dose. Just like the places administering it are probably getting paid for every “free” shot given. Your tax dollars at work. I’m sure testing was quite the money maker too. Admittedly, all necessary evils I suppose, but someone makes a buck on every catastrophe. Speaking of… Are there still pallets of undrank bottled water sitting on the runway in Puerto Rico for Hurricane Maria?
Car jacking.
I mentioned a while back that I have a 24-in breaker bar multi-purpose tool and an impact socket in each vehicle. Avoids a hernia when the hotshot at the tire dealer rotated yours just after he worked on a dump truck, and forgot to dial the impact wrench back down.
All the vehicles have a jackstand and a couple chunks of 4×4 to chock wheels. And a full-sized spare in a protective plastic bag.
I carry a hydraulic jack in the truck. It was a Sunday ad loss leader for Sears about forty years ago. $14.99 IIRC. Two pieces of osb, one for under the jack, one to kneel on.
My hydraulic jack that I bought at Sears in 1982 ? 1983 ? weighs at least 75 lbs. Maybe 100 lbs. It lives in the garage. I have used the five foot handle as a breaker bar several times. And to put a replacement front axle on my 1982 VW Rabbit Diesel which required a torque of 320 ftlbs on the 1 and 11/16 axle nut. I had to estimate the torque using my 18 inch Sears beam wrench as it only went to 200 ftlbs or so. Mayb 150 ftlbs. I used linear interpolation.
I’ve got a couple of heavy duty yoga mats in the trucks too. I use them to lay on when I’m working in an attic, but they work well under a car or a house too. Glad to hear that someone else has some flares. They’re cheap, available at any auto parts store, last forever, and are about the only thing I can think of that will set a tire on fire if you need to.
n
So sorry to hear your news, Harold.
I rarely discuss politics, but this is pretty good:
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2021/05/06/clean-house-in-2025-n2588969
Send any flames directly to Kurt.
Yes, Trump should have fired EVERYONE upon taking the job. Hopefully DeSantis has learned the lesson.
BTW, Trump and DeSantis live in the same state. One of them will have to move if they run together.
Yoga mats burn easily? Cool. I don’t want to know how you found out.
Ah yes, undrank water is the best! :-p But seriously, why does everyone say Porto Rico when it should be Puerto Rico? Do the natives (‘scuse… indigenous peoples) say that?
Earlier I screwed up up the link to the Russian collection of golden oldies. Don’t forget to add a year, a title, or an actor to the search!
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22john+s%22+site:ok.ru&tbm=vid
This is practically a nonstop stream of data on drag racing. It is one of the best I have seen. For your viewing pleasure:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g0KTGHGXqsQ
Imagine the evolution from the early days to now. Everything has been optimized for best performance. Also imagine the rules that have been designed to keep the competition level, and to limit speeds for “safety.” We now have 1000′ instead of a quarter mile, and other limits that keep the terminal speed under 330 mph. And yet, a fraction of the cost and sophistication of Formula One road racing.
A friend was an NHRA fuel inspector. He told me about some of the stuff that goes on behind the scenes. The top fuel folks are pretty honest, but the lower classes have some cheaters that make the competition… interesting. It was his job to assay the fuel and certify it for racing. There are a lot of other inspectors.
The next time you jump in your jalopy to go to the store, think about this.
I always carry that stuff when on backcountry trips. Came across a two tire down rented Jeep with two German tourists on a dirt road in souther Utah, north side of Lake Powell. On tire totally shredded up like NASCAR event and the other had air leaked out. We put spare on replacing shredded with our tools as Jeep’s were ont present. Then I fixed the other with my can of aerosol snot sealent and 12v air pump.
Being a typical June day, we may have saved their lives.
You’re a good man, Cowboy Slim. 😉
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/05/video-blm-militants-draw-ar-15s-ak-47s-portland-motorists-no-police-scene-reign-terror-continues/
Motorist gets out of his truck with his pistol and gets it taken from him. Don’t get out of your vehicle.
n
“Report: China’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Exceed All Other Developed Nations Combined”
https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2021/05/06/report-chinas-greenhouse-gas-emissions-exceed-all-other-developed-nations-combined/
You know, if greenhouse emissions were important, China would not limit them. But greenhouse emissions are not important so, China does not care.
So, why do the EU and dumbrocrats care about greenhouse emissions ?
Carbon taxes. This is all about a new tax that they can extract from the suppliers of energy to the general populace at the point of a gun and give the money to the general populace to curry favor from them. The general populace will think that the dumbrocrats are swell people when they get their annual carbon tax refund check and vote dumbrocrat for life.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
Sleepy time….
n
Harold, my deepest sympathy and condolences for your loss. I lost my wife about 18 months ago and can tell you that grieving will be difficult and often strange. I think you are starting in the right direction: A celebration that she would have enjoyed had she been there in person with your friends and relatives; Visiting with relatives and friends. I will say that many people will be there for you, but only the ones that have gone through this themselves will actually “get it”, and they will be the most help to you – talk with them. There is advise and information that can help you with what you are feeling, and if counselling is offered, consider accepting it. My best wishes to you.
Harold.. (same name as my late father). Sincere condolences to you and your family..
@Harold, I echo all the condolences above.