TubaOrNotTuba

I have trust issues with builders. No, nothing deep-seated; rather, a sense “will I ever see you again”. However, today, to my delight and surprise, the plumbers returned. A slightly different mix in their crew, which meant that the dog (who also has trust issues) had to go through the same “bark until sure of their intentions” greeting as earlier in the week. And the lads were on target. All the right tools, all the right skills. You see, assembling a shower stall is tricky business. When asked, the opinion offered was that this was similar to Ikea; guess I dodged a bullet.

I have a hypothetical question: if you are trying to purchase replacement light bulbs, and the box offers some with a 15,000 hour “duration”, should you believe the claim? Or should you go for a more conservative model that offers a 10,000 hour duration? Asking for a friend.

Using online client tech is not really difficult; me and my various banks have got this figured out, and we have for several years now. In sharp contrast, our federal government has a system that seems to be a study in user frustration. It’s all about jumping through the hoops to prove your identity; as if someone wants to impersonate me and pay my tax bill. I get it, their programmers need a challenge or two, and when you have a postal system, and walk-in centres and modems, stirring madly will create a system for the eons. If you fail to use the system regularly, you can test the model all over again.

My morning meal, at home, follows a routine. The local market bakes cinnamon rolls. Great by themselves, or with fresh coffee. Nothing else required, or wanted. While on the road, I swing to the other extreme. Cornucopia.

Good, there’s music available while I wait. I’m busy configuring my latest serving of Pi, and the OS requires a certain amount of patch activity. How much? Hard to be sure, but I’ve been watching the activity indicator for the last twenty minutes or so. Not stuck, just a bit more like “cold molasses” than I would have expected, given the level of hype about this newest iteration.

What a find! The right size of nut (mechanical) in both locking and wing formats. I realize that most of my project ideas come up against the wall of hardware not being available, at least locally. I found a set of ¼-20 bolts, a couple of weeks ago. Today, the matching nuts. Why can’t hardware stores stock both at the same time?

I’m on a quest. Out there, in the shadowy world we call the Internet, there are thousands of radio station streams. Forget that old-fashioned idea where you have a box on the counter, tuned to the local DJ. I’m talking about the world being your musical oyster.

Challenge accepted! When she who has a solution that doesn’t match the problem, I get to play. This time around, we have four small light fixtures with solar panels attached. Meant to be used outside, but in a warmer climate, I suspect. You see, the fixtures come with ground spikes, made from the same rigid plastic as the actual gadget, and once the temperature drops to (our) normal winter range, things get broken. This time around, we’re blaming the dog on a rope, but it could have been anyone or anything that stumbles around in the snow.

I really shouldn’t be so attentive, given that the big yellow bus hasn’t stopped at my door in many years. But, the schools were closed today. A preemptive measure, with the announcement on the social media sites by 05h30. We were warned that it could be wet; slippy; a dog’s breakfast of precipitation. In the end, none of that, at least around here.

If I want to go to bed, with a clear conscience, I’d best get started. Today, I spent the best part of the afternoon on door duty. The dog. That we had two different contractors in the house meant that he was needy. And that translates into a steady “Give me a biscuit” and “Let me outside”. Since I’m his sidekick, I fetched and opened on call. No, my dignity remains intact. After all, this is a covenant. He eats and I protect him from his wildest urges. At least the fox didn’t stop by for a mockery session.