Happy Birthday, Cats!

Whaddaya want? They're cats.  You try to get them to pose for a picture!

Basil and Hamish turn 4 today,  or about today.  April 20 is the estimated date of their birth by the vet that examined them after they were found and taken in by Dane County Friends of Ferals.  They were so tiny when we got them, that was June 9 almost 4 years ago.  We wanted two male brothers and we got them.  And they get along as well as we could ever hope.  But for brothers they could not be more different, body types and personalities, and that does keep it interesting!

Happy Birthday Hamish Pie* and   Basil Boo*!

Spring Has Sprung

With five of my last six posts having 'Spring' in the title, it has finally come true.  We had the windows open for the first time this year yesterday and today I am wearing shorts as it may come close to 80º!









Along with the nicer weather comes work to do.  My wife spent much of the day yesterday working outside.  To see these pictures and more, stop on over at our Garden Blog!

Oh,

Oh, it also happens to be my 7th Blogday today.  I've had this site for seven whole years.  Mediocre at best as it is, I know.  But I think I've got it under control now, anyway.  At least the itching stopped...

Apetor's Spring 2016

Some crazy, cold-loving Norwegian up to his old tricks skating/swimming/skiing while drinking vodka.  I like this guy's videos.  Just consider what he's doing, then realize how good a video he made and edited of himself doing it.  Now how crazy is he?

Spring Tulips In Snow

Tulips in snow.

When we woke up this morning it looked much like my last post.  It snowed most of the early morning with some accumulations but with temperatures at or just above freezing it was melting immediately on roads and walkways.  Then it went from snow to sun to snow to sun, more times than I could count as we were in and out much of the day, until it finally stayed sunny sometime after 3 o'clock this afternoon.

More Tulips in snow.

 It was rather amazing, just watching the weather out the window change.  In a matter of minutes it had gone from sunny to blizzard-like.  And this happened several times throughout the day.  Watching the radar you could see band after band of snow, like tiger bands, with a separation between each where we had partial to full sun.  Many times it was sunny with snow still falling.

Not Tulips.  Daffodil among the coming Irises.

A tiger striped late spring snowstorm.  Odd kind of weather pattern, I'm sure, and interesting but unless I hear otherwise I  will not delve further than what I may happen to hear of the local meteorologists.  Who knows?  It could have been a pretty rare snow weather phenomena.  And it would have made a wonderful time lapse video.  But as long as it is not a harbinger of the apocalypse then I'm good.

We are soooo ready for warmer weather here.  Just a little longer...

Happy Spring - Again

Spring started last Sunday, can't you tell?  If you can't tell by the picture, it is still snowing.  Could've been worse.  An hour drive north is getting about a foot, I hear.  Thankfully, it will be very temporary.

Spring Is Coming

It is not quite fully here yet - there is talk of snow later this week - but it is pretty damn close.  It is still a little too early and the ground is a little too soft for yard work.  But the time is coming fast.  I've spent all winter sick from one thing or another.  I'm looking to spring to be a new beginning, new health and wellness in warmer weather.

I took more pictures but there's only a few things starting to come up so far.  I've not posted much over winter but I feel it is time to act more alive.  I also posted a couple pics of the garden over at our Garden Blog.

There is much to be done this year and it isn't going to do itself.  Last year it was getting the tree removed.  This year I need to start getting quotes for roof, gutters and porch.  Yes, it may be a very expensive 2016.

Latest Listening Pleasure 23 - Nightwish LIVE

On July 4, 2015 we had the day off for the holiday.  I was surfing the internet and noticed that Nightwish would be playing in Milwaukee in February, 2016, and the tickets were already on sale.  So, of course, I snatched up a pair immediately.

This last weekend they finally played at The Rave in Milwaukee and my wife and I were there to witness it.  Now, as you have read, I had been pretty sick but I was not going to miss this for anything.  We drove to Milwaukee Saturday afternoon and checked into the hotel, just a block away from the venue.  Then I napped.  I had so hoped I would be feeling better, and I was a tiny bit compared to the week prior, but I was still pretty miserable.  My wife got on the website and found out the time the band was to start so we waited and skipped the first two bands, showing up about 10 minutes before Nightwish hit the stage.

I've seen so many live videos of the band on Youtube that nothing really surprised me about the show.  They did have nice backdrops, themed for the newest album Endless Forms Most Beautiful,  but it was not the full show with the video screens and pyro that they used in Europe.  Still, I was not too disappointed with that.  I was happy being in the same room and watching and listening to them play with my own eyes and ears.  I knew I wanted to get some video, a personal take-away from the concert, and because of the way I felt I tried to get that done early.  Normally I would have looked up the set list so I knew what was coming and I could record the songs I wanted, but the way I was feeling I did not plan ahead and just grabbed some random songs from early in the show.  Here is a link to the setlist they played that night.

This video, She Is My Sin, is an early song of theirs.  Not my favorite song but the video turned out well.


Another song I got on video is Kiss While Your Lips Are Still Red, an older ballad that they brought back for this tour.  A very good song, indeed.


Nightwish is also one of those bands that does not do encores.  When the last song is played they are done, and I appreciate that.  When they started in on the last song, The Greatest Show On Earth, we started to work our way out and back to the hotel.  The song is a good one, but I have seen and heard it many times before and it is a version that can run over 10 minutes.  The original song has 5 chapters and runs 24 minutes long.  It was worth it to me to leave a few minutes early and avoid the mass exodus at the end.

One of my favorite bands, this is actually their fourth appearance as one of my Latest Listening Pleasure posts.  I wasn't too sure if I would ever get the chance to see them live, that's the drawback to mostly listening to bands from overseas.  But I'm very glad I have seen them now, no matter how poor I was feeling at the time.

Previous LLP Posts...
LLP 1 - Pain
LLP 2 - Nightwish
LLP 3 - Die Antwoord
LLP 4 - Pain part 2
LLP 5 - Andrew Bird LIVE
LLP 6 - Nightwish part 2
LLP 7 - Paramore
LLP 8 - Newsted
LLP 9 - U.D.O. LIVE
LLP 10 - Nightwish Imaginaerum Movie
LLP 11 - Kiss
LLP 12 - Rick Springfield
LLP 13 - Hyrax
LLP 14 - In This Moment
LLP 15 - Faster Pussycat LIVE
LLP 16 - Sebastian Bach
LLP 17 - Cradle Of Thorns
LLP 18 - Amaranthe
LLP 19 - Lindemann
LLP 20 - Halestorm
LLP 21 - Garbage LIVE
LLP 22 - Arcade
LLP 23 - Nightwish LIVE

Surprise! Sick Again

This has not been my year.  I am sick again, but this time my doctor doesn't know what it is.  He does think it is a virus, possibly a flu virus (yes - I got my shot) but I don't have all the symptoms of flu.  My only symptoms are headache and nausea - and, oh, the nausea!  I've not been able to eat much since last Thursday.  Plus, all my inactivity has my back acting up again and my, er, act backing up again.  It has been almost a full week now so whatever the virus is it should be close to finished, according to my doctor.

I do look forward to a great early March post.  But until then know that I am not dead, I only wish I were.

Winter & Little Lulu

I have not posted much lately, but it is the time of winter that not a whole lot is going on.  November and December you still have good days (very much so this season!) so are still making things happen.  Then the daylight bottoms out and deep winter sets in.  Even days that you make plans something is more likely to happen to keep you in during winter.  Snowstorms, daylight, temperatures and sickness are all much bigger factors than other times of year.  Any one or combination can keep you holed up at home instead of being out dining, shopping or socializing.  Even walking around the yard is missed by now.

We had plans this afternoon but not feeling well and snowfall has kept us in again.  Yes, it is the time of year I start seriously longing for spring.

- - - - - Little Lulu Comic - - - - -

Blue Witch's comment on the thread for the last post spurred me into writing today.  Before that, I had not ever considered trying to see what the comic would be worth.  My wife tells me she thought about it but, with the tops of the cover and first page missing, she didn't mention it.  Like I said in that comment thread, that is probably due to being returned for credit by the seller.  I know they do that for newspapers still, I'm not sure about magazines or comics, but probably.  Regardless, even if it was fully complete I don't think it would have occurred to me to seek it's worth.  (Now if it was Superman or similar.... then I might have thought about the $$!)

Yesterday I went downstairs ready to dust and vacuum some more, even started briefly, but decided it was going to be more work than results.  My cleaning a couple weeks ago is sufficient for now.  When I do big basement cleaning again I will approach it better from the start and have it done much more efficiently.

I did read through most of the Little Lulu comics in the magazine I found, not quite finishing because, well, it was boring.  Most of the subject matter is pretty simple, and would easily be understood by kids today.  But, of course, this is a simpler form of entertainment for young kids and would not be able to compete in this era.  After reading I printed off my last post.  I used the email version because it was easier and had less clutter.  The paper was enough larger than the comic that I folded the two pages in half and placed them in the center of the comic book, just sticking out the top a little bit.  Using a mirror, I checked the other areas atop that air return and the only other thing I found was a clothespin (that I left where I found).

Then I put Little Lulu went back where I found her.  Back to where she lay since - I would guess - the late 1950's or maybe 1960's.   We will know it is there - and now you will, too - but we will not disturb it.  Maybe someday after we're gone - or moved - someone will find it and ponder it's journey as I did.  Or maybe someday someone will be doing work or cleaning and toss it in the bin without looking at it.

I will only know how it made me think and reflect on the early life of this comic, this house and the family that grew up here.  Putting it back may give someone else that opportunity.


Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day.

Cobwebbing Comic Find

Last weekend I spent a short time downstairs with the duster going after the cobwebs in the basement ceiling.  I thought I did a pretty good job until I went down there for something the other night and in the light of the bulbs, as opposed to the daylight streaming in earlier, there were many more cobwebs to see.  Enough for me to make a note on my to-do list to cobweb the basement after dark, specifically.  So that is what I went down to do last night.

I set up my bluetooth speaker so I could listen to one of my podcasts as I cobwebbed, and as I started I almost immediately saw the corner of something sticking out over one of the air returns.  I must have bumped it with the duster enough to make it visible to me.  I immediately recognized it as a thin magazine style reading material when I touched it.

It was a comic book.  A very old and dusty comic book of Marge's Little Lulu.  A 52 Page Comic Magazine, as stated on the cover.  The pages are beyond yellow and into brown shades of very old.  The tops of the cover and first page are missing, and it has been drawn on the covers by what would appear to be a young child practicing drawing stars.

Found on the air return, top right.

The latest date I can see, due to the top of the cover and first page missing, is 1954, listed on the bottom of the first page where it references the comics this compilation came from.  We don't know the exact year our house was built, but the old toilet was dated 1947.  If I remember right, the former owner raised 5 kids in this little house.  That would be unheard of these days in this amount of space, but her mother did live next door, we're told.  The house was empty for a year or more after she died, then we bought it in 2009.

It would be interesting to know the story of how this comic book got to be there, but I'll probably never know.  In fact, what am I going to do with it?  Maybe I'll just read it and put it back for someone else to discover after my time.  Then they may wonder about it like I am now.

January This-And-Thats

Okay, time to dust the place and act alive around here.  At this time last year I had actually taken a bit of a time-out from blogging.  Before November of 2014 I had not posted less than 7 times a month in over 5 years of posting here.  It got to the point I just couldn't keep that up.  First, I realized the fact that I had never posted less than seven times a month and felt like I was forcing some posts just to keep the streak alive.  That was over a year ago and I'm a little more relaxed about posting now, obviously.

So now that I'm ready to type, I hope you're ready to read!

• Yes, I was sick for over a month.  I had bronchitis, got a little better around the new year to allow my wife to be sick for a few days, then I got sick again.  This time it was more sinus than lungs, but still with the damn headache.  I had not been sick like that in some time and I hope never again.
• The resurgence of my sickness may have been aided by the fact that winter decided to finally show up in full force.  First with a good layer of snow, then with the bitter cold of below zero (F) temperatures.  It is good for the natural order of things, but I'd be happy to skip it altogether.
• I have been on a bit of an early spring cleaning kick, getting rid of odd little things that I do not need, extra cardboard boxes, and just junk that we don't need to keep.  We have a pretty good pile for charity again but I still have to go through my clothes.  That's always been the hard part for me.  I think it is daunting because I don't want to have to try on a gazillion clothes to determine what stays and what goes, so it never gets done.  Maybe this spring will be different...
• We got a chest freezer last year, now it's time to fill it.  Kate has been cooking more things ahead of time and I have stocked up on freezer items when they are on sale, but now we will soon have about 250 pounds of meat to put in it.  I had talked with a friend about going in on a cow and it looks like that may happen soon.  We will be getting one quarter of a cow for roughly 3 dollars a pound - that's across the board for ground beef, steaks and roasts.  This should keep us in meat for a good amount of time - and ease my grocery shopping trips.
• Speaking of shopping, I bought the Amazon Fire TV Stick on a forty dollar whim.  It achieves my main purpose of being able to watch YouTube videos on the television and I am still figuring out the rest.  We don't watch a whole lot of TV other than house shows, Big Bang Theory reruns and, of course, my sports games.  But I can see how someone who is really into TV and movies would love this, there's almost anything you want to watch at your fingertips.  Even if we end up not using it for more than YouTube I'm still glad I got it - but again, I'm still figuring it out yet.

Tonight we are meeting half a dozen friends at Ella's Deli for dinner to celebrate my wife Kate's birthday this week.  It is close enough we could walk there but we have not been there for a couple years since we took our nephew James there for dinner.  She wanted ideas on where to go so I did a google search and started calling out names of restaurants and she fancied this one.  I'm glad she did, it is a fascinating place to visit.  They have fascinating stuff there everywhere you look, on the walls, ceiling, and even in the tables!  Check out their website here.  

Thanks for coming back though I've been away.  My stats have been nuts, one day this last week I got 4 hits and the next I got 37.  Crazy.  Average is probably 15 or so a day.  Now I think I better get the camera out so I don't forget it tonight and I should probably decide what I want from their extensive menu before we go.  

Attempt At Posting

I know I've not posted here all year.  I guess I haven't found anything to be post-worthy recently.  A health update is all I can think of so far.  Well, let me try a This-And-Thats format and see what happens.

• I've still been sick, and that makes it a whole month now.  Hmm.  I don't even want to type about that.  You don't want details about me feeling poor.  I am feeling a bit better today, or trying to.
• Packers play a wildcard playoff game today at Washington.  I'll be rooting for them to win but putting them out of their misery would be more humane.
• We had a lot of rain during the week but it didn't melt most of the snow cover.  No chance of it melting for the foreseeable future as January has arrived in full with single digit temperatures, at least during the day.

Okay, maybe this wasn't a good idea.  That's all I got so it will have to do until I'm in a better disposition and/or actually have something to say.

Happy New Year 2016

We were planning on having a couple people over tonight to ring in the new year but I had to cancel this morning because my wife is not feeling well.  I'm okay with that, I stayed up until the early hours last night watching Wisconsin win the Holiday Bowl over USC.  I'm glad I stayed up, it was a good game that came down right to the end, but I have been pretty tired all day today.  Thankfully it was very slow at work and no one really cared how much got done.  I may still get a second wind tonight and stay awake until midnight, there are still football bowl games on television.  But maybe not and I'm okay with that.

I wrote this last year and can't think of a better way to say it:
Happy New Year to you all.  The ones I read, the ones I love, all my friends and all of you who take the time to read me.  Whether you comment or not, I can see you're there.  Thank you.

Xmas 2015

We enjoyed a holiday evening with my wife's family yesterday.  It was a good holiday gathering, no huge dramas to speak of.  Family photos were taken that I hope turn out real nice.  Brother-in-law is becoming a professional photographer so he had all the equipment - the huge backdrop and the umbrella lights of a pro photo shoot, and he made it work pretty well for the small space it had to happen in.

The food was also pretty good.  Way too much, but par for the course.  They all want to please, and everyone did seem pleased and had their fill of the feast.  Mother-in-law forgot to get the jello dish out for dinner again - which is becoming a family tradition.  I feel like the same thing happened at the last holiday gathering.  I also felt a little bad for my host sister-in-law as she spent all her time cleaning up dishes alone afterwards while we all talked around the table.  I considered helping, but helpers may just have been in her way, anyway.

We are not traveling anywhere else this weekend.  I plan on resting, mostly.  Although I am mostly over the bronchitis I got about 2 weeks ago I still have the headache.  It is better at times and worse at other times, but it has been there for a full fortnight now and I'm, well, sick of it.

The weather is as unseasonably warm as I ever remember for Christmas.   It looks more like late fall right now than winter.  The grass has never been greener at this time of year.  Still, I can't help but think we'll be paying for this milder weather down the road, in one way or another.

Whatever you are doing for the holiday I hope it is what you want to be doing.  Have a great weekend!

How To Comment

I am writing this to clarify how to leave a comment for those that may not know.  Basically there are three main ways to view my posts; desktop, mobile and via email.  You may comment directly from the desktop or mobile site but not the email.  So here is how to leave a comment for me, and registering with Blogger or Google to leave a comment is not required.

From Desktop:
If you are on a desktop when visiting then thank you, you are seeing the post as I meant it to be seen.  Just click on 'comments' at the end of the post.  Sign in if you have an account or, more likely, just choose the Name/URL option, then you can just enter your name and your comment easily.  Anonymous works too, but be sure to leave your name in the comment so I know who it is.

From Mobile:
If you see the mobile site on your device then you must first click on the post you wish to comment on, then click on 'Post a comment' at the end of the post.  Sign in if you have an account or, more likely, just choose the Name/URL option, then you can just enter your name and your comment easily.  Anonymous works too, but be sure to leave your name in the comment so I know who it is.

Email Readers:
If you wish to comment on a post you received via email then you must click the 'Scoakat's Blog' link at the bottom of the email to go to either the desktop or mobile sites, then it is the same as above.

If you don't know what I'm referring to when I say 'email readers,' I have a widget in the right column where you can enter your email address, then confirm in an email that is sent to you and you will get an email every time I post a new article to my website.  No spam, no bullspit.  Emails are sent out by Google two to twenty hours after I post.  I have no control over that.  And if you ever reply to those emails they do not come to me.  Also, keep in mind that you will not see videos in emails, you must visit the site.


So you see, it is not too difficult to respond to me but I realize the choices may be confusing.  Hopefully this helps and we can have a little more interaction here.  Tell me what you think, do you agree or disagree with what I write?  Have anything to add or anything you want to say?  I'm only spelling it out here because I'd love to hear from each and every one of you.

Hope to hear from you soon!

December This-And-Thats

I never really feel like doing one of these posts other than feeling that I should do one of these posts.  That's not really a bad thing because I'm never disappointed with the result.  There's a reason I say that it's time to start typing and see what comes out, that's just what I do on these This-And-Thats posts!

• I've been sick and it sucks.  I woke up last Wednesday with that feeling that I may be coming down with something, and by 10 that morning there was no doubt.  I went to work on Thursday and somehow made it all day, but had to call in sick on Friday.  Today, I'm feeling a bit better than the last couple days, but if today was Monday I would have called in again.  I think I should be able to go tomorrow but I don't know how my voice will hold up.  Enough of my whining, on to the next.
• The weather this December has been very, very mild.  We had one or two snows, but much more rain with temperatures above freezing but for some stretches overnight.  As I write this it is about 60º outside!  I'll take it, but it may be hard on the plants.  Speaking of--
• The mild weather allowed a December post over at the Garden Blog.  It's just a picture of the garden as it is now.  Probably confused by the weather.
• It is past time to start looking for gifts for the nieces and nephews.  I try very hard to get things they will really like.  This year I may scale it back a little, though.  We will not be traveling after the fiasco at my Dad's last month.  I've never liked traveling for holiday gatherings much and now I think I'm old enough to not have to do it anymore.  Catholic guilt (from my upbringing - not my beliefs now) has made me do it enough.  Now, I've had enough.
• The new refrigerator has been absolutely wonderful!  I no longer have to make ice every other day by hand, and Kate has noticed how very much longer fruits and vegetables stay good.  That old fridge may have been older than we originally thought.  Now, with the new fridge upstairs and the new chest freezer downstairs we have enough food storage as we should ever need.
• I wrote a while back about our frustrations with our bank.  Since then there has been another issue, and now my wife has been without a debit card for maybe a month because of it.  Seems they still had her address as where we lived about 15 years ago, too.  So, after I've been with this bank for, let's see, about 28 years or so we are in the process of transitioning to a new bank.  Of course the old bank doesn't make it as easy as simply being able to transfer the money, but we shall have the movement of our funds wrapped up soon enough.

That's enough for now.  Coming soon I want to write about commenting.  I'd like it if more readers commented, but many of you subscribe by email so may not know how.  Basically you have to go to the actual post on the website and click on comments.  And no, you do not need to register, comment as a guest then you can type in your name and comment.  That's the quick version, but I want to spell it out for website and mobile for everyone yet.  My traffic to comment ratio sucks, people.

Nine Fingered Scoakat

This just made me actually laugh out loud, and why I am posting and writing about it now.  I do feel a new This-And-Thats post coming, but until then...     Thanks Jonco over at B&P!

I've known several 'digitally impaired' people, especially from when I was younger and worked in various construction jobs, and then eventually a truss plant slash lumber yard.  I saw the older guys that were missing partial and even whole fingers.  You couldn't miss it.  Sometimes they had good stories and good humor about it, sometimes not.  I started out in the truss plant as a grunt that worked on a press, swinging a hammer for a living.  And over the next almost decade I learned almost every press, every forklift and every sawyer job that was to be done.  Alas, back injuries and pride did me in at that job.  Pain can provide a very motivating, yet cloudy view.  Regretful, but physically it was a relief and in my best long term interests.  Mentally, I loved that job and I wish I could have done it forever.

Now, I used to know how to use a lot of saws when that was then.  The biggest saws I've run were six bladed beasts over forty feet long and could cut up to three angles on each end of a twenty foot 2 by 10, maybe more, if need be.  Thankfully we never much needed - or wanted - to test it's extremes.  Most cuts were easier and on 2 to 20 foot 2 by 4's, sometimes 2 by 6's.  And there was yet an even a bigger, more advanced saw there that I never did get to run.  I never came close to losing a finger, but I've known a couple people that it has happened to, or had known, one I never saw him again - he never came back to work.  But he had no business running that saw, we all knew he was scared of it.

These days I have what I need for home projects:  a table saw, a circular saw, a jig saw, a hand saw, a pruning saw, all I need is a chain saw - and don't laugh, it would have it's uses for me!  I still have all my fingers.  Maybe my odds would go up because of all the saws I use and have used, but I would like to think experience makes that less likely.

Now watch, I just jinxed myself.

Signed,
Nine-Finger-Scoakat

P.S.  My newest toy is a 2 gallon 125 psi air compressor.  I'm not sure how that may help me lose a finger but, hell, watch me be the one to find out!

F4VRE

Brett Favre is getting his number retired at halftime of the Packers-Bears game at Lambeau Field tonight.  (Hurry up and retire it before he changes his mind again!)  Congratulations and thank you, Brett!  Photo courtesy of ESPN.

Oh, happy Thanksgiving, too.

Latest Listening Pleasure 22 - Arcade

Once again I have reached into the vaults of my memories for my Latest Listening Pleasure.  I wasn't going to write about Arcade as an LLP post, but I have been listening to them often enough lately and enjoying it so much that I even sought out more and have been enjoying that, too, so here they are.

Arcade is a band that was started by Stephen Pearcy from Ratt and Fred Coury from Cinderella back in the early nineties.  I have their debut release on cassette tape in a box somewhere, I'm sure, but even without hearing it since forever I remembered that I really liked that tape and had nothing else new keeping my attention at the moment so I ordered the 1993 self-titled CD off the internet to have it digitally.  It was every bit as enjoyable as I remembered and I listened to it for weeks on end.  Then I started looking for more, and I had already known they had a second album called A/2 released in 1994.  Those songs were on Youtube but the quality wasn't very good.  I didn't want to listen to all the songs like that if I was going to buy it eventually anyway, so I broke down and just bought the CD, used, from Amazon.  The sound quality is not very good on A/2, and I'm guessing they didn't have the same budget as the year before, but the songs are right in the same vein as the first album.  I had read reviews that said it was heavier, they must have meant that there was more bass on the second recording.  It almost sounds like they just made the demos the actual album.  Listen to the link at the end and you will know what I mean.

Below is what is probably the only official video from the band, from 1993 for the song Cry No More.  At least the only official video that I can find.  There are other good songs on that album, though.  Most notably Dancing With The Angels, and Messed Up World.


They even put out a third album, A/3 - Live and Unreleased.  While I am curious - and you know how I love the live stuff - I am hesitant to get this.  All the songs seem to come off the first album, none from the second, but there is a bonus keyboard solo (snore).  I have a feeling it was a last gasp effort to make money off the band before, or right after, they dissolved.

Here is the only complete live song I can find on Youtube, Cry No More, 1993, Osaka, Japan.


So, if you'd like a throwback to the Eighties, from a band that was together over 20 years ago in the Nineties, check them out!  I just like what I like, so Get Off My Back!

Previous LLP Posts...
LLP 1 - Pain
LLP 2 - Nightwish
LLP 3 - Die Antwoord
LLP 4 - Pain part 2
LLP 5 - Andrew Bird
LLP 6 - Nightwish part 2
LLP 7 - Paramore
LLP 8 - Newsted
LLP 9 - U.D.O.
LLP 10 - Nightwish Imaginaerum Movie
LLP 11 - Kiss
LLP 12 - Rick Springfield
LLP 13 - Hyrax
LLP 14 - In This Moment
LLP 15 - Faster Pussycat
LLP 16 - Sebastian Bach
LLP 17 - Cradle Of Thorns
LLP 18 - Amaranthe
LLP 19 - Lindemann
LLP 20 - Halestorm
LLP 21 - Garbage
LLP 22 - Arcade

First Snow of the Season 2015

Predictions tend toward a mild winter for us here in Wisconsin, but who knows what will happen.  Same as every year, you deal with the hand you're given.  Our first snow of season is here, this picture is from about seven o'clock tonight, give or take.

It could possibly last into the afternoon tomorrow and accumulate multiple inches, a few to a foot, depending on the pattern.  I will update tomorrow if it is a dramatic enough difference.

 I'm starting to feel the annual sense of impending doom - doom meaning winter.  Otherwise, I still hope to mow once more and have a few other plants to compost. And I still haven't cleaned the gutters.  Actually, without our tree anymore and with all the huge winds we've had off and on for weeks, I'm not sure there's even much to clear out.  It all gets done eventually, right?

Bataclan Hall and EODM

We all know about the tragic terrorist attacks in France recently.  The biggest attack was at Bataclan Hall, at metal show featuring a band called the Eagles Of Death Metal.  Here is a video of the band onstage and in the middle of a song as the gunshots begin.  The video is not graphic, you can find those on the internet elsewhere if you wish.  But you can see the drummer duck down and a guitarist running off the stage.  Knowing that this is the very beginning seconds of what happened at that concert hall is what makes this video disturbing.  Be warned of that.



The band issued a statement today, I found it here at Blabbermouth.

Early 'Thanksmas'*

My Dad and his wife Pat had a gathering yesterday that they were calling Thanksmas.  They will be leaving for Florida at the end of the month and wanted to share the holidays with their families.  For some reason I felt we should go, my first mistake.  I don't like the holidays.  I don't like to travel.  Hell, I don't even really like my Dad, and I'm more like him than I want to admit.  But I felt we should go because he has had heart trouble this year and he'll be the first to remind you that he's not getting any younger.  Oh, and their Thanksmas celebration was happening during a Packers game, just to add to my personal anxieties.  I call them 'anxieties,' they have also been referred to as 'selfishness.'  Either way I'm not proud of my actions sometimes.

So, fine then, a couple weeks ago I resolved to myself that we would go and agreed to be there.  My plan was to show up shortly before the game, watch the game and socialize with them, and leave immediately following the game.  Over an hour travel each way, but we should get home just before dark.  Perfect, in my mind.  Plenty of time to relax at home on a Sunday night before facing another work week.  Besides, how christmas-y can you get in the middle of November unless you are a retail store?  I was about to find out.  Oh, I stuck to my plan, but, of course, it did not turn out well.

Most of their combined kids and their families were there.  I didn't know all the names, and I didn't really care.  The 'step' siblings became such long after I was an adult out on my own and I have really only met them a handful of times.  My niece was cute, she made it more fun for me by making me play bean bag toss with her before the game then trying to figure out the password and play the games on my phone.  It was a beautiful sunny day, this Ides of November, with temperatures getting up to 60º.  And I was sitting near a christmas tree watching the Packers lose two weeks before Thanksgiving.  I was feeling out of my element, but there was the finish line - the end of the game, which was drawn-out, of course.

When the game ended I said thanks and gotta go but it was not that easy.  I had explained earlier that we had things to do and I wanted to be home by dark, back to my plan.  So after the game I got up to go.  My wife became hugely embarrassed with Pat protesting and me saying hey, that was my plan all along.  We had to stand there awkwardly in front of everyone as she fumbled looking for christmas presents to give us before we left.  At that point I don't look good leaving or agreeing to stay for their games and gift openings.  My intention was not to get gifts in the middle of November or upset my Dad's wife, just leave.  But then I just wanted to disappear myself, I can't blame my wife for being upset with me, my time here was done and I wanted to go.

See, I've always been more comfortable at home.  And similar things have happened to me before.  I explained it to my sister once as having an elastic band attaching me to home.  The farther away and longer I'm gone the more uncomfortable I am.  Especially when it is for - and it usually is - for a holiday gathering.  I stopped liking holidays after, and in some ways because of, my childhood.  We always had to travel then, too.  I guess it all eventually goes back to childhood, right?  I'm the first to admit that I still hold deep resentment from back then that I am trying to ignore now.  I think I've done well with that lately but it is still there and always will be.  Life goes on.

So, am I selfish?  Do I have OCD with anxieties?  A form of agoraphobia?  Or am I just an ass?

Don't answer, I don't want to hear it.  But it's probably some form of all of them to one degree or another.

The agoraphobia thing, suggested by my wife that night, actually hits pretty close to home.  That would also explain why I get so buggy at huge events with thousands of people, too.  I know I've talked about that here before.  Still, I do not have panic attacks, though I do have plenty of anxieties.  So maybe I'm just a nut who needs to be on medication to take the ab from my normal.  I think I should probably look into this more.  But from right here, thank you.


*Updated next day:
One thing I feel was lost in my writing - and editing - is that I do need to offer my apologies to all involved who took offense.  Reading sentences 3 to 7 of the first paragraph and looking back, I feel like I set myself up to fail.  I'm also sorry for that and I'm sorry it happened.  
Okay, enough dirty laundry!  But writing it out did help me consider things more.  Many things.

Hamish and Basil, Leaves

Our two cats enjoying their limited time on the porch before the door stays closed for winter.  Yes, their personalities are scarily reflected in their facial expressions here.  You see our trouble...














I know I have not written much lately, sorry but not a whole lot has been happening that can be written about here.  The weather has turned, leaves are almost all fallen and we have a lot less that I expected.  Last weekend I mowed, mostly to mulch all the black walnut leaves from neighbor Dave's trees.  They tend to lose their leaves earliest thankfully, so I can usually use the leaves that fall later for mulch.  There was never a shortage before but now, without our big tree in back, we have fewer than I expected from other neighboring trees.  Now I hope to get enough from the front yard for mulching our flowerbeds.  I do not want to use hay, hay does not disappear as easily the next season.

Kinda funny, actually - I'm worried about having too few leaves to rake and mulch this year.  Who'd a thunk it?  Garden post with lots of pics coming soon at the Garden Blog!

Hickory Head Horror Story*

The Hickory Head Hermit a.k.a. Mike Firesmith is a blogger that I like and follow.  A writer who blogs may be a more apt description.  This week he has been posting his annual Hickory Head Horror Story Serialization called Christa and I've been thoroughly enjoying it. I know the finale will be posted tomorrow, but if you have some time it is a fun read, it has drawn me in well!  The whole thing is at his site here, or, for convenience,  I've listed and linked them in order below!

10/24 Christa:  The Beginning
10/25 Christa:  The Trap
10/26 Christa:  To Hide A Murder
10/27 Christa:  In Time
10/28 Christa:  Found
10/29 Christa:  Before The Storm
10/30 Christa:  Blood And Sand
10/31 Christa:  The Dam Breaks

BONUS!
11/2 Christa:  Epilogue

*Updated

Latest LIVE Listening Pleasure 21 - Garbage

Garbage had a homecoming of sorts at the Orpheum Theater here in downtown Madison on Sunday night and my wife and I were there to see it.

The band Garbage gets back to Madison every few years, last time was in 2012.  I did not see them then, the only other time I went to see them they played at the Memorial Coliseum here in Madison.  Thinking back, that must have been in the early 00's.  Of course, they recorded all their early stuff here in Madison at the now defunct Smart Studios (- think Nirvana's 1991 breakthrough album 'Nevermind' - it was recorded there with Butch Vig, Garbage's drummer and overseer, producing).

The band is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Garbage.  It has been recently remastered and released along with many of the b-sides from that era.  I almost ordered it but there wasn't anything new on it, just remastered, and that wasn't enough for me.  I do like Garbage, especially because they are from Madison here, but I'm not fanatical about them and they are not what I normally listen to and these days I pick and choose who I spend my money on.  We paid for two tickets to the show, there's our support.

We arrived about a half hour before showtime to a mostly packed house.  We knew the show had sold out in advance, general admission mostly, and even a few more tickets were sold on the day of show.  Many of the only seats that were left available were behind the sound and light boards.  I figured that we would ride out the first band in the seats then move to the floor for Garbage.  (The first band was not worth remembering, at least for us.)  Well, by the time the first band was done the place had completely filled up so we decided to stay in our seats.  When standing, a camera only slightly obstructed our view.  If we were on the floor it would have been the backs of peoples heads obstructing our view, especially for my shorter wife.  On the plus side, my wife did sometimes watch the video that was being taken of the show on the little screen in front of us by the light board, see picture on the right.  Maybe it was being recorded for DVD release.  Now, that I would buy.

I experimented a little bit at this show.  First, I took more pictures and video at this show than I ever normally would.  I did not know how the video was going to turn out so I wanted at least a few good pictures.  Also, at prior shows that I have recorded songs I was much closer to the stage, within feet of the performance usually.  Up close works great for my little digital camera that I like to use for video, but it doesn't zoom in.  I did figure out that night - and for the first time ever even though I've had this camera for many years - that it will zoom for video but you must first zoom before recording and cannot change the zoom until it is in standby mode again.  Still, knowing that probably won't change my recording habits that much.  When I zoom in the quality and pixels goes down.  I also want to point out that this was probably the brightest show I've seen.  There seemed to be lots more lights on stage pointing out than the other way around.  At times I had to just look away and wait for it to dim.  Really.  Due to that, some scenes the camera just could not capture but for a glare of light.

This first video is for the song 'Kick My Ass.'


I also tried to take a video with my phone, first time trying to take a concert video on my phone and it turned out pretty good!  The zoom sharpness is surprisingly better than my old digital camera, more than I expected.  I still like the camera for when I can get closer, but I'm glad I gave the phone camera a try.  I did miss the end of the song, however.  I've had space issues on my phone lately so I simply ran out of space to record.

Here's the video taken with my phone, 'Only Happy When It Rains.'


It was a good night out and we had each taken Monday off after the show.  It is probably a good thing that we got the tickets months ago because otherwise it would have been tough to just get up off the couch and go.  This concert was only 10 minutes from home in downtown Madison.  In February we have tickets to a Nightwish concert in Milwaukee.  I hate to travel, and I wouldn't for just any band, but it may be my only chance to see this Finnish band live, so I must go.  I must also get a hotel yet!

*Reminder to my email readers, you must visit the site to view videos.  There is a link at the bottom of the email.

**One last update before I post this, apparently the video was broadcast out to Yahoo LiveNation.  You can watch the whole concert in professional multi camera video with quality sound at this link!

Previous LLP Posts...
LLP 1 - Pain
LLP 2 - Nightwish
LLP 3 - Die Antwoord
LLP 4 - Pain part 2
LLP 5 - Andrew Bird
LLP 6 - Nightwish part 2
LLP 7 - Paramore
LLP 8 - Newsted
LLP 9 - U.D.O.
LLP 10 - Nightwish Imaginaerum Movie
LLP 11 - Kiss
LLP 12 - Rick Springfield
LLP 13 - Hyrax
LLP 14 - In This Moment
LLP 15 - Faster Pussycat
LLP 16 - Sebastian Bach
LLP 17 - Cradle Of Thorns
LLP 18 - Amaranthe
LLP 19 - Lindemann
LLP 20 - Halestorm
LLP 21 - Garbage

New Fridge!

It's almost the middle of October and I haven't posted much of anything lately.  Well, I could do a This-And-Thats post but it would probably be rather short.  I could rant about the Wisconsin Badgers pathetic offense or rave about the undefeated Green Bay Packers, but I'm not a sports writer.  So about all that's left that has happened lately is getting a new refrigerator.  So be it!

We've had the fridge ordered for about a month now, waiting for it to be in stock and delivered.  The old fridge was, well, old and was starting to have some issues.  We could have called a repair man and possibly have gotten it fixed, but ultimately decided now was the time to upgrade.  We got exactly what my wife wanted; a black french door fridge with the freezer drawer on the bottom - and an ice maker for me!  We had the plumber out last week to install a water line for the ice maker since the old one didn't have that luxury.

We had delivery scheduled for Saturday and got the call on Friday evening that the refrigerator would be delivered between 4 and 6 pm.  The next day we were at the Harmony Bar and Grill for a late lunch and when we were finished, around 1:30 we got the call that they would be there in about 20 minutes.  I know they are always early, but they made some good time that day (and he told me later we were their last delivery).  We scurried home quickly and what happens first thing but the spring on the garage door breaks!  Spend some money and then have to spend more money, my luck!  Anyway, we got the fridge emptied into coolers before they arrived.  They had the old one out and the new one in and set up and were gone by the time the football game started at 2:30.  Perfect!

Cosmetically, the new LG fridge matches the Kenmore dishwasher very well, about exact.  But now, well, I saw my wife standing in the kitchen the other night and so I asked her casually if she was looking at the new refrigerator.  No, she said, she was looking at the old stove.  Gasp!  Not yet, not yet!  This fridge was not cheap, replacing the stove can wait for a while, quite a while, we have other big things like a new roof to think about next year.

And tomorrow the garage door guy will be out to fix the spring so I can use the big door again.  I do know it is something I could most likely do myself, but I never have and when you get that spring wound it's got lots of scary power.  Yeah, I'll just let the pro do it.

A side by side comparison of the old and new fridge is after the break, if you're interested.

Garden Blog Updates

I realized that I have not posted here in a bit, but things have been busy at work and nothing exceptional has happened otherwise.  I did post a pictorial tour of the plants in our yard over at the garden blog yesterday.  And my lovely wife posted over there today.

My wife has a different view than I and has been adding bits of what she has prepared with the small harvest we get from our garden.  You should head on over there and read her posts, leave her an encouraging comment, too!

Our garden blog is linked in the right column, or click here!

Craft Brew Dinner #5

It has been a busy week, but finally I can write about this past Monday night when we attended another Heritage Series Craft Brew Dinner at Dexter's Pub.  We have grown from just my wife and I, to us plus my friend Ted, to us and Ted plus his friend, to us and Ted and SteveBob and another couple, Josh and Casey.  We got our half a dozen seats about a month ago, maybe 2 days after seats became available, and from what I understand it sold out all 20 available seats just a day or so later - quicker than usual, word must be getting out.

I don't want to spend a whole lot of time on it, but it was not the best dinner in this series that we've attended.  The rep for Deschutes Brewery was a likable guy who had the knowledge of the brewery but had bad timing for his between course talks.  Normally the waitresses have a routine; serve the featured beer, serve the course, remove plates and glasses as finished, and repeat for all 5 or 6 courses.  The rep has everyone's attention when the featured beer is being served, not when everybody gets the paired course of food.  There was some good swag included - pint glass, can/bottle coolie, sticker and what is a wide rubber band with their name printed on it that I think they want to be a wristband - I didn't say it was all good swag.

Their beers were kind of a letdown for me, though.  They didn't suck, but nothing stood out.  Many ales, one bitter, at least none of my least favorite, the perfumey-tasting IPAs.

In keeping up with what I started doing at dinner #1, there is a staged photo of beer, dessert and menu here.  The menu was bigger this time so you can't read it all, but you get the gist.

To cut to the chase, the biggest disappointment of the night came when half of our party, my wife and I included, got the last three of the second course served from the kitchen.  It was a "Volcano" pork sandwich.  While all others got the heat, it was just a pork sandwich for us three.  They must have run out of the jalapeno jelly for the last three sandwiches.  We had absolutely no spice.  The pork tasted good but for us there was nothing "Volcano" about it.  Plus, one had no little crispy onions and there were complaints of fattiness in some sandwiches.  They sold only 20 seats yet seem to have run out of some things when serving.  Makes me wonder if that happened to others that happened to get the last dishes out of the kitchen for a course.

For now, the next scheduled dinner is with Rogue Brewing Company, and we have not heard good things about their beers from our friends that know more about that kind of thing.  And the menu is, well, meh.  We've attended four in a row and after this one I think we will be skipping the next but we will surely keep an eye on future dinners, still.  Thanks, Nick!

Firepit And Basement Stands

We had a firepit on Saturday night, our first one of the year.  We had planned a firepit party twice in the last couple of months but both times turned out to be among the hottest days of the year.  We still had the party but we never lit a fire,  we just stayed inside in the air conditioning.  Now that Fall is here - or will be in a day or two - we should have better weather for it.

With friends over I had the help I needed to get the washer and dryer into place on the new stand. The freezer is already on it's little stand, left.  If you take a look you can see how I also have the metal shelves up on wood and the bottom shelves painted with the same mold and mildew proof paint.  We've not had any water in the basement in quite some time now, and when we do it just trickles to the drain, but it has been damp enough down there for me to raise, replace and paint the bottom shelves after mold had grown on the bottom side a couple years ago.

The washer/dryer stand is pretty cool.  It's only 12 inches high but makes a world of difference getting laundry in and out - or will.  I've been busy (okay - lazy on Sunday, but that's what Sundays are for!) since then so I finally got them balanced and hooked up again tonight.  Essentially, the stand doubles the height of the opening from when they were on the floor.  And that means a lot when you have a back like mine, but I still keep an old office chair down there so I don't bend so much.

Last night we went to another Heritage Series Craft Brew Dinner at Dexter's Pub.  This time we had 6 in our group.  It was fun but I do have my complaints.  I'll write about it later, I've got stuff to do tonight other than more writing so that will probably be my next post.  See ya then!

Birthday This-And-Thats

Yes, today is my birthday.  I will forever get to hear 9/11 tributes and remembrances for the rest of my life on my birthday, Patriot Day.  This date has become defined by the events of 14 years ago.  It is one of those dates when you ask people where they were they can tell you exactly how that day was for them.  I may have told my story here, I'd have to check.  If not then I'll tell it on this day some year in the future, I'm sure.  I've been otherwise busy lately, so I probably have other stuff to say today.  Time to start typing and find out what it is!

• I've not heard anything back from the bank on my request for compensation for what we went through the other day.  I'm sure I won't.  I'm glad they are trying to look out for us, but why were we not notified immediately when they put a hold on our account?  That is the big question.  Turns out, essentially they are always suspicious about purchases from this large retail giant's website.  The bigger the money the bigger the flag.  No matter how much fraud happens on that retail outlet's web store, why were we not notified right away when they put a hold on our account?  My wife had to go without lunch that day and day one of my vacation was delayed by almost 3 frustrating hours because their system was down, lucky us.  What if I had already gone out to lunch and tried to run errands before my wife texted me that her card was denied?  It is always embarrassing if that happens - and rarely is it ever justified for anyone you see it happen to.  If you didn't have the money you'd know it, or most would, I would hope.
• The basement stands that I built earlier this week have been painted, two coats of mold and mildew proof paint, and are down in the basement.  The freezer stand was (relatively) easier for me to get in place under the freezer but the washer/dryer stand will have to wait for help.  I'll try to get a few friends over soon to help get the washer and dryer on top of the stand, then I will share pics.  It's gonna be pretty neat.
• I've also managed to get several more projects crossed off my list the past couple days.  Most notably, I got all the edging done along the front sidewalk, all that I will do this season - I don't want to put any more of that sod in the compost bin this year (I don't think the walks have been edged in 30 years!).  I've started cutting back, and in a few cases removing, some plants for fall.  I also built and installed a new gate for the garden out of leftover lumber to replace the old gate that was sticking and getting hard to open.  Check, check, and check.  And there's still plenty more on my to-do list for later.  There always is, right?
• I must admit that lately I have peeked at "Sammi's" farcebook page once or twice since I posted about her.  And I am feeling a lot better about the situation now.  She mostly re-posts the usual drivel that comes from there, but she has also made it a point to complain recently about having a toothache but no insurance and how she had to call the police on her roommate for stealing her laptop.  This woman is older than me yet she seems to have regressed since I have known her.  Not really the type of friend I want to have now, anyway.  Bullet dodged.  Now I worry because I gave her my phone number and this blog address.

Well, it has been a restful yet productive week off for me.  This weekend brings football with the Badgers at 11 on Saturday and the Packers at noon on Sunday.  Yes, that means Summer is almost over so we must enjoy what is left of it .  The rest of this weekend is mostly my own.  We do look forward to seeing some friends tomorrow night for an evening out, and I hope for something nice with my wife and I, but come Monday it is a new week with a new mindset for me.  Back to the grind, so they say...

Basement Stands and Poor Banking

I enjoy those days spent working on a project in the garage for hours at a time.  Playing music and making sawdust are always fun, but the accomplishment of creation is nice, too.  I had one of those days yesterday, creating a stand for the washer and dryer and also a small platform for the freezer.  We have not had water in the basement for quite some time, and when we have had water it just runs toward the drain so this may not be necessary for flooding, but why take a chance?  And the washer/dryer stand will also lessen the bending.

The washer/dryer stand assembled almost exactly as I had figured in my head and crude drawings.  Once I figure out the dimensions the length of the pieces falls right into place.  I started by cutting the 4x4 legs to an approximate length then pulled out the table saw to help get flat ends.  Well, I got the table saw out but the blade would not raise.  I tried taking it apart but could not find the problem to fix.  This is probably one of the cheapest table saws available, I got good use out of it over the past few years.  I saved the blade but the rest is now junk.  I made a quick dash to my favorite local DIY center but I did not want the same cheap one, the next step up only the floor model was to be had, then they just got pricier.  After considering how little I would need it for this project, I left without a purchase and made do with the circular saw and a steady hand - very well, too.  Still, with my wife's permission I just may get another table saw by the end of the week.

Next up is painting.  I had hoped to get started on it today, but two things are holding me back.  The terrible humidity and our bank.  We bought a refrigerator online a few days ago and our bank's security has flagged it and put a hold on our accounts.  My wife texted me from work today that her card was denied so I called.  They told me that the bank's security computers are down at the moment so they can't help me.  My wife can't get lunch at work and I can't go out for errands and lunch after fasting since last night so I could have blood tests today.  I am very hungry and quite annoyed right now.

Since writing the above it has now been resolved and I did go out and get a bite to eat.  I am still upset with our bank, however.  I am now off to start painting what you see in the pictures.

More pictures after the break!

Local Road Paint*

*Updated 9/7, click 'Read More' at the end!

While we approve of and support most all local community and neighborhood projects we are not usually directly involved.  But we do appreciate our neighbors' efforts in bringing the community spirit to our neighborhood.  I noted long ago how our neighborhood seemed like one in transition from older, long-time residents to younger couples with growing families.  It has become quite like that but they are also very active with the community and each other to improve the place we all share.  How can we not like that?  My wife and I do not have kids and are otherwise pretty private so while we do support neighborhood and community projects and charities it is mostly with moral and sometimes financial support.  That being said, our neighborhood created a beautiful thing yesterday while I was trimming trees - as told in the last post.

The road was closed in front of our house yesterday as many members of the greater neighborhood got together and painted the street.  It even made the local news and papers today because painting a street is actually very unusual.  This has been a couple years in the making, from individuals getting the idea in their heads and sharing with others, then getting our alderman to introduce a law to allow streets to be painted, to getting a design approved - it is abstract as no symbols or words are allowed - and actually receiving a city grant to help facilitate it happening.  I think we have some active and motivated younger families in this neighborhood and we are very happy and appreciative to benefit from them and their work.

I talked to a few of the neighbors as we were in and out that morning, and waved as I carried loads of branches to the curb.  I actually would not have minded helping with the painting yesterday afternoon but for my normal physical deficiencies that acted up after the tree stuff.  I don't feel too bad, all those young dads on the street are younger and more fit than me!  When I was finished with all my trimming, neighbor Dave and I did stroll down to the corner to view their progress and visit for a bit.  They were down there until almost dark last night painting, eating, socializing and cleaning up.  Today, with the road still closed off, they have been having fun with a kiddie pool and squirt guns and kids all over the road.

Seems like a nice bit of fun and I'm happy we live here and now.

Even MORE Free Firewood

I had noticed that the neighbor across the back fence has been neglecting his trees.  Normally I wouldn't care, but it had started to affect our yard.  Yes, the crab apples falling every year are a big pain - I probably put close to 3 gallons of them in the compost bin so far this year - but now vines have been spreading through the branches and into our bushes.  I had been looking for this neighbor to be outside for a while now so I could discuss his trees with him, but I could not wait any longer and had to hack away.  And hack away I did.  If it crossed the fence I was looking to cut it down.

In the southeast corner, left, there is a small tree across the fence and behind the neighbor's garage that has been growing wildly, and vines have been reaching out and getting into our lilacs.  I trimmed that rather easily but did not go over the fence line.  Our lilac is close so I will have to keep an eye on it.  There's a couple feet now between them so hopefully no vines shall cross but I know they will try.

The southwest corner above the compost bin was a different story.  I've watched that crab apple tree grow up into the phone lines and now get covered in vines.  The vines are actually killing the half of the tree on his side yet nothing has been done to stop it.  Compounding the issue is another behind-the-owner's-garage tree that is growing out of control kitty corner behind the compost bin.  Between them they created a vine highway into our burning bush that I have been trying to get back into shape since being allowed to overgrow before we bought the house and since it almost completely died in the drought of 2012.  I must have pulled a couple hundred feet of vines down and you can still see them hanging from the trees.  As a nice side effect, the area is much more open back there, no longer under an unwanted canopy.

So after about a gallon of sweat on this hot and humid day what is left is a big pile of neatly stacked branches out front and even more free firewood for me.  In the picture the two on the right are from my neighbor's branches that fell a week or two ago, the rest are from today.  Not a lot of big stuff but the smaller stuff burns, too.  Probably at least 40 bucks of wood there if you bought it at a store, chopped and cut.  Oh, and many thanks to neighbor Dave who let me borrow his pole saw today.

I also finished painting the last bit of the foundation this morning.  We had been working on it on and off all Summer now, around the weekends and the weather.  The new paint is only in the lower right of this picture, for a before and after.  The missing paint came off when I power washed it.  Now, black as Swedish Death Metal, it matches the garage trim and window trim much better.

Boy, it feels good to finally get a couple of big things crossed off my lengthy to-do list.  This next week may as well be called 'Project Week' for me.  I have lots planned on my last full week off of the year.  I'm sure I'll be posting about much of it here.

More Free Firewood

This is the carnage we woke up to this morning.  Sometime during the night a branch fell, making a small mess and a hole in the lawn.

Although we had our big old silver maple removed this past Spring, there are still lots of big trees nearby.  It's nice to live in an old neighborhood with large trees and tree-lined streets.  But trees grow up and gravity pulls down.  My neighbor lost a bigger branch last week.  The larger trunks of it are still out by his shed.  I've got a feeling he's going to ask me if I'd like it for firewood, and if so I will take it.  You wouldn't believe the price of a small bundle of wood at the stores around here, that's why I save all this free wood.  I just hope I'm never pulling some out of my roof.

I Dare You...

I Dare You To Watch This Entire Video

Haha, reminded me of this site:  Do Nothing For 2 Minutes