Circumstances

I’ve been away for a few days, due to circumstances beyond my control.

The planned trip to the “Big Easy” didn’t turn out to be easy in most respects.

Sometimes complications get in the way of human interaction. That’s all I’m at liberty to say at this point.

New Orleans, especially the French Quarter, is gritty, grimy, and out-of-control at times. We took a couple that had never been–and they were a little shocked at the realism.

Anyway, we made it back–last night at nine PM. It’s been hotter than normal for this time of year. The effects of which were felt by all participants.

Too much activity packed into one day.  Good night!

Going Boldly Forward

Our sofa and love seat in the living room have faded areas from sunlight, and wear.

My do-it-yourself project will be restoring them to their original tobacco brown color. Such projects seem so easy on you tube videos.

I have the highly recommended product. Five star rated–if those ratings were really truthful.

Too late to begin today. Later this week?  I’m following instructions to the letter.  Wish me luck. I’ll report on the results.

Boredom Therapy

In the midst of a series of rainy days, it was quite easy for general malaise to become boredom, then all-inclusive griping.

What was there to do? Watching paint dry wasn’t possible. Grass and mold continued to grow with each passing shower.

Griping was something, once started, had no end. Last year, continuing into the current year, my laptop developed issues. Frustrating to me–summarized, in chronological order.

6-1-17: The craziness continues. Can’t search, even from home page.

8-5-17: Wi-Fi quit working–Oh, what fun!

8-6-17: Cooling system problem. Warning–return for servicing.

8-9-17: No internet. 8-15-17: Slow internet.

9-12-17: Still stuck in mud. 9-14-17: Ditto. 9-15-17: More of the same.

9-19-17: No home page. AOL briefly came, then went kaput.

10-23-17: Updated internet security, then everything went wonky.

10-26-17: After security update, frequently visited sites, couldn’t be visited. They’re suddenly not secured. Perhaps I should contact Mark Zuckerberg, as suggested, ask him to update FB security, so my laptop will work properly?  Fat chance of that happening.

11-13-18: Couple of days of reasonably good internet.

12-3-17: This laptop may as well be a brick–can’t access the ‘net.

4-20-18: Internet down since 3 PM.

4-28-18: I’m on line, I’m off line–which was it?

6-26-18: Overheating issue repaired. Slow internet, on fringes of wi-fi unchanged.

8-4-18: Sketchy wi-fi, but no searching.

8-7-18: My old friend “invalid network configuration” popped up out of the blue.

8-14-18: Briefly accessed entry page. 8-15-18: Entry page accessed even more briefly than night before.

I should explain–my laptop functioned normally in the house. Why did I put up with such difficulties? Challenges never stopped me before.  Maybe complaining had the cathartic effect I needed?

Lefties Unite

It’s National Left-Handers Day. Not a big deal to most folks.

To those in that ten percent, it has been a matter of coping in a right-handed world.

In case you haven’t already guessed, I’m left-handed. My hands had ink stains when writing on paper; chalk dust from writing on blackboards; notebook’s steel coils were on the “wrong side.”

Scissors: I learned to cut right-handed. School desks with arms on the right side–I sat sideways.

I found it amusing, when non-lefties commented, “I don’t understand how you can write, upside down, and backwards.”

It’s always been a challenge to cope in a right-handed world.  Fellow lefties, stand and be proud!

We Interrupt This Program…

…To bring you your regularly scheduled afternoon, mini-hurricane.  Satellite TV is out of course.  Computers turned off to prevent lightning damage.

Maggie, my little sweet girl dog is home from her stay at the vets.  Her “brother” Max was glad to see her.  The suspense (anxiety) continues till July 23rd.  That’s when she’s scheduled for examination by a specialist.

She has problems with her esophagus and swallowing.  There are several possible causes.  Most of them unsettling.  Only a proper endoscopy will tell the tale.  She’s tolerating soft food and drinking water.  Her activities are limited in the interim.

Quirks & Quacks

Never had a pet duck. There were plenty of cats, dogs, chickens, calves, rabbits, and pigs. Not that I had anything against ducks.

When I grew up on the farm, there were so many mother cats with kittens, we kids struggled to name them all. One kitten was christened, “Little Bitty Wild Man,” another named “Meowy.” Then the genetic experiment went amiss, distemper struck, and only the strongest survived.

Inanimate objects like automobiles didn’t have personalities, but they did have quirks.  Mostly due to deferred maintenance and a long succession of owners.  Left rear doors closed reluctantly.  Heaters worked, full-blast only–if at all.  Windows wouldn’t roll down or up.  Worn, three-speed stick shift linkages tested patience.  Frequently stuck in second gear.

Nothing like the thrill of going into a skid on rain-slick roads, because one of the tires was bald.  There was only money for used tires.  Money is no longer the problem it once was.  Procrastination, however, still is.

My laptop computer overheated and shut down for a long time before it was repaired.  Other things took priority.  I have two PC’s, and the laptop worked in 5-10 minute spurts, before it had to be shut down.

The worst quirk–it sometimes wouldn’t shut down, without the battery being removed.  Why did I put up with it?  I’ve put up with quirky things my entire life, and see them as challenges to overcome.  I know, I’m not alone. Toilet tank handle jigglers, please raise your hands.  Put them down. I can’t see them anyway.

 

 

Cabin Fever?

No, it couldn’t be, here in the deep South. Cabin fever happened when one was confined to inside quarters for days, weeks on end.

So far this winter has been colder for longer than I can remember. Major highways iced up, severe wind chill, and at least one more night of this.

Why is it even an issue? Northerners are used to it, shrug it off every day. Here, the houses aren’t designed for extended periods of sub-freezing weather. If temps go under twenty degrees, pipes could freeze.

Snow removal equipment is non-existent.  Businesses and schools are closed.  After tomorrow, things will change for the better.