TubaOrNotTuba

In a proper distribution of labour, either the load is shared equally, or the heavier portion falls on the shoulders of the person who wants it. I have a confession: in terms of taking care of our grounds, I am a failure. Abject. However… I do appreciate the effort, and I do notice when things look good. Flowers, for example, are an easy mark. Look.

How boring is my life? Well, I just checked the release date forecasts for iOS14. Anyone arriving here from a search engine, take note. I DO NOT know. I have no relevant information. It’s just that (in numerical sequence), that should be the next major update for the iPad and iPhone. It might even arrive before I cancel my phone contract.

I received a short message from a neighbour, today. A short reminder to try and see the movie starring her brother… wait? What? Does this mean that I know someone related to a Hollywood star? Indeed!

The path to a new vehicle edges on. I’m a bystander, but the process keeps me interested. After checking with a local bank, and with the dealer, and with a crystal ball (maybe), the decision has been made. The new rig will be a purchase, not a lease, using a combination of funds from a deep pocket and the terms offered by the dealership. The math is pretty simple; a calculator dance, mainly. After all the numbers are crunched, one is better off owning than leasing. Something about that end result, where your money is gone, but you have a rig that you’ve learned to love, close at hand.

In a play on a song from my childhood, I learned that there was “No Mulch Today”Every couple of seasons, the flower beds require a facelift, and bags filled with mulch are an acceptable material. And so, off I went to shop. Didn’t find any (in the usual places), but I did have the chance to see how local retail has responded to the pandemic

Although I can’t rationalize the cost, I’d love to upgrade the solar system (not THE solar system) on the RV. The house battery charging system, to cut the confusion. Right now, there is a single panel on the coach roof, and it helps, a little. After a demonstration from a fellow traveler in a park last summer, it is possible to go for something “stronger”. More panels, better monitor systems, eventually better batteries. LiFePO4, if you’re curious. My home efforts are part of the personal education required, although I’d want to have any upgrades done by someone with pertinent experience.

As a parent, you keep hoping there are things that won’t catch the attention of your progeny. I mean, there was even a hit song about it, offered up by Sophie Tucker: “How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down On The Farm, After They’ve Seen Paree?” Pay no attention to the date the song was written. Before my time, too. The point is, education of your young depends on keeping their attention away from certain distractions. For example, when trying to inculcate proper table manners, it helps if they miss the annual Nathan’s hot dog eating contest.

If I were a rich man… there are many things I would not change. Happened to watch some videos, involving expensive ways to brew coffee. I mean, I don’t go for cheap (stopped buying instant in a jar, a lifetime ago), but my current machine does everything it is supposed to. Let me elaborate.

Today, we’re dealing with a change-up in routine. Part of it has been triggered by broken stuff. Like the front UV filter on a preferred camera lens. I had to take the filter apart, in order to remove the pieces of glass, and then subvert the bent filter frame. The threading is fine, and precise. When you knock the filter, bending the frame, things no longer disassemble in the right way. Had to get the vise grips out and force my game. The filter is now gone to landfill, and Amazon should deliver a replacement within the week. I shorted out the wait game by swapping a filter from another preferred lens (mine) and we’re good to go for the next few days.

Living at the end of the road, I take my connections to the outside world very seriously. Two nights now, the electricity has gone off, reminding me of the wisdom of having installed “genny” in the back yard. My neighbours aren’t as protected from the cold and the dark. Similarly, the tenuous connection to the Internet means accepting no news at times.