White Lightning Axiom: Redux

Another day zipped by and I barely appreciated it. I did decide to take it a bit easier today. You know, give my body a few moments to heal itself so I no longer have to deal with the odd pains or recalcitrant joints. We have that TSD test this weekend and I would like to be able to get through it with a MILD concussion and minor contusions. I left work a bit earlier after hours of back-to-back meetings so with all that extra time, I dropped off the enrollment forms at the New Advanced School for Tyrant Transformation of Warmongering Itinerate Turpitudic Siblings (NASTy TWITS). While in the neighborhood, I stopped by the location where I was going to rent a Tux, only to find that they were open Tues-Sat and not available on Mondays. Gha, same thing with my barber and I dearly need a haircut! Alas, I spent my last $20 on a second responsibility chart for the Tryants. Apparently, one was just not enough for the both of them. I can still see them now, facing off at high noon on a dusty street as the tumble-weeds roll by. Attila, flexing her 'shootin hand' as Ghengis spits out of the side of his mouth, squarely pegging a beetle scurrying over the parched planking of the nearby saloon. She calls out; "Gou-Gou! This responsibility board ain't big 'nough for the both of us. That means someone is out of luck. I'm figger'n it's gonna be you." He retorts; "I dun' think so Moi-Moi, see'n that Daddy just went and shelled out a share-cropper's budget for a second board. It's a looking like both of us are gunna be on the short end of this here stick." And so comes the realization that these gifts were actually a Trojan Horse by which the Peloponnesian Parents War will be won.

The rest of Monday was mostly a hard stinging rain. Like a cow piss'n on a flat rock, no less. I was ahead of the game this time and picked a bowl full of greens from the Agricultural Sector so that there will be enough salad for the next 2-3 days. The Lettuce, Arugula and Spinach are coming in nicely. And so are the peas, tomatoes and beans (both soy and string). In fact, nearly everything is coming up like gang-busters ... including the volunteers! A lot of pumpkin and lettuce is popping up in places I did not expect ... along with some survivors of the 'Great Carrot Massacre'. So, even though temperatures dropped precipitously over the last few days, I believe that we will do just fine in the organic 'delicate green delectables' department this year.

Now for the Gas Report. I did not eat any beans or cabbage, so gas is still up at $3.60USD/g in these parts. The Stimulus Check will not make that an easier pill to swallow (hello, supply and demand?), but at 5 gallons a week, I'll manage. It's the Mrs who is driving the Family Tank V2.0 who is paying the price for what speculators and politicians are doing. Biofuels are making things a mess and they only create more problems the closer we look at them! Of course, they are being blamed for the increased cost of food ... but read this article and tell my why food prices are going up when we are producing more food (minus the slice taken out for ethanol) than ever before!? SPECULATORS and POLITICIANS! Gha ... those two groups vex me daily.

Technorati Tags:Gas | Swimming | Karate | Children | School | Work

Labels: Banalities Work, Children, Gas, Plumbing, School, Swimming

Annnddd ... back again. Went up to the FOB for the long weekend. Well, it was long for me, don't you know. Took off Friday and Monday for good measure. It was fairly mundane for all that we did not do. The Tyrants got their quarterly haircut at the Hairy Canary. Jake is in love with the stylist/owner there. Of course, who is he NOT in love with. That kid will have his heart break when he finds out about polygamy. We also did a massive Easter Egg hunt Sunday morning. The kids love that. Of course, when you are gunning against your brother for the most 'Kills' ... it's all about the competition and the tally. Much to their delight, some of the plastic eggs (never use real ones should you forget where that last missing one was hidden, all too well). It vexed me that each of these coins was probably a tribute to the politicians up in Albany, NY. The gasoline prices in the area peaked at $3.45 at some locations. Even down near the Manor, we are expecting to shell out $3.15. With the AWD Family Tank II sucking up nearly 10 gallons for a one way trip ... gosh, we might as well FLY! Hello TSA!

We skedaddled back to the Manor on Sunday afternoon so we could use Monday to remunerate for all the lost time we did not spend on chores. We also had to pick up Preacher BIL and Gung Gung who had flown in from China this month. He wanted to spend some time with the Tyrants ... that poor deluded soul. He did not realize that relaxation was anathema to them as horrible as going to sleep or having a bath without bubbles. While the twins were busy plotting a plethora of plans on how they would sneak up and out-flank our guests, the Mrs and I spent our time outdoors, tilling the soil. Managing our bit of earth would not have been too bad had not my Mega-Tiller Mark-44 thrown a chain and become inoperable. I had to work with the smaller hand version with a single stroke mixed fuel that would constantly get hung up on wet leaves and small chunks of bark. It took a bit longer than expected so I did not get as much done as I had hoped. I did manage to expand the Agricultural Sector to include an area that was previously under conditioning though. The pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini will go into the mounds there. I was planning on putting up a trellis system for these, but funding and time is short. I'll have to belay that till after I get the water barrel system in place. Hopefully, things will work out this year. I've got a few weeks before I put the spring crops in.

Technorati Tags:Gas | Easter | Children | Plumbing | Family

Labels: Children, Easter, Family, Gas, Plumbing

Hoookay then. Another weekend under the belt to make me wiser and older ... more of the second than the first of course. For all the plans I made earlier in the week, having the Grand Parent Patrol about helped out a bit. Friday night, of course, ended with Dodge Ball and there was much fun and pummeling to be had. And that was the extent to which things were dealt with on Friday evening. Application of force. Little stuff like plastering & painting the wall patches, cutting and putting polyurethane on wood, nailing up molding, clearing leaves, harvesting the last of the veggies, tilling under the agricultural sector, running telecommunications wire, installing break-out boxes ... none of that got done. Although, when Gramps did have some spare time, we managed to replace one spigot in the rear of the manor that was leaking and the closet space that needed 'dressing up' was completed. Most of our time was spent shopping at the Local Home Depot Temple though ... which had it's own tales. We managed to visit on a day where they were giving away free hot-dogs and 'sliders' (greasy cheese burgers) so that made it worth the trip right there. Nothing like hot dogs with Düsseldorf mustard at the depot. So, the mrs almost has her closet space ready (I still need to cut the shelfs to length) and we have one spigot that may need 'professional' attention. It's right above the electrical circuit breaker box so I'm a wee bit wary of cracking that open right now. Next weekend, I may get that Telcom wire run though. It's cool enough to visit the attic without bursting into a puddle of sweat. In fact, I started up the wood burning stove this weekend. Yes, the crisp chill of winter has finally made itself known ... in the inviolate sanctuary of our Master Suite. Makes it really tough to get up in the morning, don't ya know. So, that made the Daylight savings sleep-a-thon a delight. I managed to get that hour back AND make breakfast before heading off to our church for some Sunday Morning Catechism. Then, the day ground down to a fine powdery residue as Grams cooked up a fine dinner and Gramps confiscated the 'indoor green-house' for growing God-Knows-What at his Agri-Bio-Tech company. Me, I just planted garlic among the seedling hybrid willow trees for next year's harvest.

Final note, I was supposed to get my flu shot this fine Monday morning but due to a change in policy with the subcontractor who does these things, I now need a note from my doctor that it is ok. You see, because I have a neurological disorder, that makes me a high risk factor. Just the ppl you want getting the damn shot. So I called the doc, went to pick up the script, and by the time I managed to wend my way back, the sub-contractor had closed up shop. I had to reschedule for next week. Gha!

Technorati Tags:Weekend | Grandparents | Dodge Ball | Children | Plumbing

Labels: Banalities, Children, Chores, Church, Dodge Ball, Family, Flu Shot, Gardening, Grandparents, Home Improvements, Multiple Sclerosis, Plumbing, Weather, Winter

Sorry so late, but I'm having a material drought. We did the usual stuff yesterday, and I was blessed with another PERSONAL INSTRUCTION EVENING at TSD. It was just me, Master Smith and his son pummeling me into the mat. All that really means is that I get no rest between drills since there is nobody to wait for. Ummm, the Tyrants were given their homework for next week and finished it up before I got back to the manor that evening. I wonder what the beleaguered teachers think of these two. Apparently, they are getting nap time again and are taking full advantage of it. Ahhh, to be 5 again. Heck, just 5 years younger would do!

One moment does spring to mind, now that I think of it. A redoubtable gentleman saw the Tyrants and I ambling out to the POS Saturn and questioned if they attended the karate practice with me. We were all in our uniforms and I responded that yes, they did. We went swimming 5 days a week and follow it up with Karate right after wards. We then got into a 15 minute discussion of how cute the twins were, how diet and exercise are important and the whole obesity crisis in America is just an issue with a society bereft of willpower ... etcetera-etcetera-etcetera. Here come the interesting part; he starts to talk about how his son is overweight and wont do anything about it and how I deal with the kids eating habits. He then tells me his child is at an age where his metabolism is not what it used to be and getting rid of weight is going to be much more difficult. That would be 62 years old. EGADS! I thought the man was no older than 65 ... turns out he is 88 and is as spry as you would hope to be at 50! Word to the audience: Tenacity and perseverance in diet and exercise may not extend your life, but it will certainly make those later years much more enjoyable.

Technorati Tags:Will Power | Swimming | Karate | Children

Labels: Children, Parenting, Plumbing, Swimming, Tang So Doo

Very little to yammer about today. I'm a bit too distrait to keep a coherent train of thought, so yammer I must ... most unintelligently. You see, the Local Plumber came over this morning at 0645. I left the Manor at 0700 after the banging and such had commenced. After speaking with the Mrs at roughly 0900, I had learned that not only am I 300$ poorer, I now have two holes in the wall to repair. I'll need to stop off at the Local Home Depot Temple and pick up some Spackle to do so. Probably some sheet rock too ... and some gauze to patch up my limbs after I accidentally rend a digit from my hands or doff a pound of flesh while trying to do something foolish. At least there will be little risk to me burning down the manor with a poorly placed acetylene torch. Every time I begin a task, I flitter ever so close to that precipice which inevitably leads me to the ER and a 50$ co-pay. The upside is that the new faucet apparently allows sufficient water through so that it will scour the hide from a fully grown and grizzled water buffalo. Just like the dainty Mrs likes it. Honestly, she cranks up that shower so hot that I cannot even be in the bathroom without getting steam blisters. I think it's her tactic to keep me out of her hair sometimes. Even flushing the toilet has no effect since she is not using ANY cold water. I tell ya, she is some sort of she-demon water sprite. In a good way, of course!

In less expensive news, I finally got around to updating the Haupertonian MS Cabal blogroll on the side bar. I've been adding folks to my RSS feed for some time now, but neglected to semipermanently ensconce them on the list. Too many to mention here ... I'll get to that later. This year ... maybe.

Technorati Tags:Blogging | Plumbing

Labels: Banalities, Blogging, Injury, Plumbing

Lots to jabber about since I waited a few days to blog. Weekends are like that, you know. Anyways, to the meat in the meal. Standard Friday Dodge-Ball smack-a-thon. Kids have fun, I stay off to the side and keep them from smashing full tilt into the walls. Of course, by the end of the evening I'm dripping with sweat anyways. More so since I've taken to protecting the masticated toe from any further damage. So, after I get home and take care of business (laundry, other such sundry tasks), I head off to take a shower. Wash away the grime and visceral remnents of work from my labor wracked body, eh? Well, the shower head was directed straight down from the previous evening when I let Jovial Jake take a shower. He likes it so much ... just sitting in the warm spray and soaking up the relaxing sensation. So I reach up and ... CRACK-SNAP! I rip the head and leader pipe right out of the wall. DAMMIT! There I am, standing in the stall with the shower head in one hand, soap all over me and a bewildered look on my face. Time to call the plumber because this is not something I'm going to fix. We needed the filter in the faucet handle replaced since the flow was restricted from the chunks of water heater I had to replace on Memorial day. But this .. ghaa! We are planning on having the shower stall fitted with a 'shell' like we did in the kids bathroom, but not till next year. The budget is not loose enough to afford that till the following summer. Best laid plans of men and mice. Looks like we'll be showering in the kids bathroom till after our Master Plumber gets some time (Wednesday at 7am) to look at the mess I made.

Saturday was mostly lawn work and prep for a party at the Policeman Butler's home in the afternoon. The kids enjoyed it, I drank too much. Ate tons of junk food, hung out with the Philly Cops ... good times. The weather was nice and there were TONS of kids so our little tyrants had a splendid time. Sunday: The usual. The kids are now registered for Sunday School even though I'll miss the first 2 weeks. the 7th and 14th ... we'll be out of state and all. (Hushed whisper) We are going to Disney. I fully expect the Twin Tyrants of Turpitude to fully explode. They know that the Grandparents will be down next weekend, but our mendacious ways are obscuring the real machinations behind this visit. On top of that, BigLittleBrother learned of a NASA rocket launch scheduled while we are down there. Then, the fireworks will REALLY get going. But, I digress and have said too much. The rest of the day of rest included mowing the lawn, cleaning up leaves, repotting house plants and potting some herbs from the garden beds. Added bonus, mosquito bites. Much itching ensued. So now, I have 4 different rosemary plants in the manor, some lemon grass and a lemon tree set to come in and 2 more pots ready for the French Tarragon and lavender. I have yet to collect the seeds from the hostas (plantation lilies), garlic chives and morning glories. So much to do, so little daylight. I think I need a 3 day weekend instituted. Re-arrange the whole damn calender while we are at it. 360 days in a year, 30 days a month, 4 weeks a month, 20 work days, 10 'other stuff' days. You think it'll fly at the UN? I'll bet Hugo Chavez would go for it. Such a fickle twit would love to abrogate a universal standard. A pronunciamento of this nature would certainly fit in with recent bombastic rants. He is starting to sound more like me every day. Of course, the Mrs has to deal with the fall out of this kind of thing, think Microsoft and VCR times. Yeah, major suckage.

Speaking of suckage, on Monday I found the HP-Hostile woman had parked her car in the slot again. The kids asked me if I were going to write her a note. I said no, that would be like putting lipstick on a pig. A lot of effort and it would still be a pig. I'm kinda hoping they repeat that if we see her next time. But I'm not going there right now ... I think I'm going to have a talk with the staff there and see if they are interested in putting up either a HP sign or a no parking sign ... or even a sign stating that parking here will result in a fine, towing or application of some really gaudy lipstick.

Technorati Tags:Fall | Karate | Gardening | Plumbing

Labels: Banalities, Fall, Gardening, Plumbing, Weekend