Ads are everywhere. Like most, I just ignore the ads that show up on my daily scroll through the forums. This one made me stop to take a second look...
Even more reason to ignore the ads. ;-)
Since Rufus was featured? Well, no, that's not what I meant. But, here's Rufus...
I didn't mention it earlier, but this was from my bike ride this morning...
And now, back to the title topic: we went out for lunch today. Didn't get it to go, didn't eat in the car... actual eating in the outdoor area of our favorite local Italian restaurant. Joan was ready, and I was all in.
I have really missed relaxing over lunch, while someone else takes care of the cooking, serving, and clean-up. A very good day. It has been over a year... yes, I know many others are in the same boat. We are vaccinated, the seating was outdoors, no other people sitting at nearby tables... and the food was great.
Yes, a very good day. :-)
New Amp Day. You're glad I'm not talking about testicles, aren't ya?
It wasn't like I needed any new music gear. But, the opportunity to get 12 amps and 13 effects pedals... and not break the bank... nor my back carrying all that.
12 amps? Where do you find room for all that gear? Thanks for asking. Here they are...
A Fender Mustang Micro. Yes, that is small. It packs a big punch, though. The all-time favorite amp I had over the years is a Fender Twin Reverb. Yep, there's a Twin Reverb in there. Second favorite: a Marshall stack; yep, that, too. A bunch of others, as well. Reverb, chorus, flanger, tremolo, high gain. The Mustang Micro is designed to be a "headphone amp" - you plug your headphone into it, and it sounds like you are standing in front of that variety of amps. Switchable between them and all the effects. It uses modeling technology to sound like each of those iconic amps. Fender has a line of Mustang amplifiers that use this technology - they already know how to do the modeling stuff. This Mustang Micro makes it easy to have the sounds and practice anywhere. And, no one else has to hear it.
Another usage: by using an 1/8" to 1/4" adapter, you can plug this little wonder into any amp or PA, allowing as much volume as that equipment can handle. All that from something small enough to put in your pocket.
When I was a young rock 'n roller, equipment needed to be big to be impressive. If it wasn't hard on your back to move it around, it wasn't big enough. Over time, the technology got better, and some of us musicians got smarter: better to have equipment that is easy on your back and sounds just as good as those old huge cabinets. I found that out about 10 years ago when switching from a big heavy PA system to a Bose L1c - great sound and the whole thing only weighs 29 pounds. Sets up in about 2 minutes. Two years ago, I added a Bose S1; even smaller, weighs only 15 pounds, sounds good, and can run on an internal battery as well as being plugged in. Last year, a Yamaha THR30ii guitar amp that offers impressive variety and only weighs about 10 pounds.
And now, this little wonder. It really is designed for electric guitars; I tried one of my acoustics that also has a humbucking pickup, and it is OK. But, it really shines with an electric guitar plugged into it. To use it where others would hear, you still need something to plug it into - like a PA or a powered speaker. But, to use it for yourself or to record, just a set of headphones or that connecting cord.
It's an interesting time to be a guitar player.
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Now, I'm really excited! Nothing to do with the boat or music gear... we made our first reservation for a stay at Hart Ranch this summer. Members can only book 60 days in advance, so we had this marked on our calendar to call today. Rufus loves all the grassy areas at Hart Ranch, and Joan and I like all the great motorcycle roads there, our favorite place to ride.
As a member, you kind of take it for granted that you'll be able to stay at Hart Ranch anytime you want. And, really, that has been the case. This year, however, I expect that to be different: because of Covid, RV sales have skyrocketed; people understand that RVing is a great way to get out and about, but still be able to distance. With more people being able to work remotely, they can work from anywhere with a decent data connection. This has led to more families working and schooling from their RV as they travel around. Hart Ranch told members in their latest newsletter that bookings are way ahead of last year. That looks like it will be the situation with RV parks all over the country.
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We dropped the boat off to get fresh bottom paint. Joan suggested that I do a video "walk-around" to show that there are no dents, no dings, and everything is in good shape. Smart Idea. I visited with my new best friend, Angel, and he expects to have the boat done next week, Tuesday or Wednesday. He pointed at another pontoon that is in dire need of bottom paint - lots of barnacles and crud on the bottom. Ours is clean. All he will have to do is a light sanding (for the new paint to adhere), wipe down, and start painting. That other boat is going to need a LOT of clean up before they can start painting. Angel noted I have a barrier coat and that it is in good shape (as I told him). Truly, it should be an easy job. I have refreshed it myself a couple times; I'm good with letting someone younger than me crawl under there now.
I just can't hide it. I'm about to lose control, and I think I like it.
If you said, "The Pointer Sisters, 1982," you get 25 bonus points. If you said, "What are you so excited about, Jim?"... I'd have to say I am allowing myself to get a little excited. It has been over 10 months since we've had the boat out... we put it away before we left last summer; I had a pretty good idea of what I was in for with the prostate cancer diagnosis, and I didn't want to deal with the boat at that time. Today - we got the boat out of our storage unit, and will be taking it in tomorrow to get fresh bottom paint. I have done the last couple refreshes myself, but I'm not excited about crawling around under the boat these days.
It will probably be middle of next week before it is done. I have been mostly indifferent about getting the boat back in, but I am now looking forward to some water outings again.
If I were picking a day to bring the boat in from storage, this wouldn't be it: the wind is gusting to 39mph here. We pulled the boat out, checked tires, looked everything over...
... and started the haul back home. At about 45mph. No issues. We stopped to visit with the guy who will be doing the work, and just confirmed (once again) that we are bringing it in tomorrow. Yep. I'm hoping for a non-eventful service experience.
It happens in 3s. You may have heard that before. Well, the fact is: no, things don't "happen in 3s." But, it is apparently the case with batteries. I put a new battery in the boat this morning. It has been 4 1/2 years, and it was due. When we pulled the motorhome out today (to get to the boat), the house batteries were discharged. Six years on those batteries; we replaced the engine battery last fall. These are due. It takes two of the Group 31 batteries. That will be my next project when we go out to storage again.
Credit card use? No. I've been trying to get another season out of the boat battery, but it isn't holding a charge. After getting to 100%, it drops back down to 60% once off the charger. We got 4 1/2 years out of it, so no complaint. When we were out at the storage unit last week, I pulled the battery off the boat.
Walmart had a better marine starting battery on sale, so that works for me. The new one is now on the charger to top it off. Later this week, I'll be taking the boat for bottom paint refresh... assuming the guy I made the appointment with 2 weeks ago keeps us his end of the arrangement.
This morning, I spent some time on the phone with a friend I haven't met in person (from my scooter forum)... seems he is dealing with prostate cancer and needs to make a decision on: surgery or radiation. We had a nice visit, I answered his questions - with the understanding that I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. I related my experiences and told him what the after-surgery situation was for me. I didn't have anyone with recent experience to talk with before the surgery, but I spent plenty of time researching... still, it is helpful to visit with someone who has been there, done that in the very recent time frame.
Yep, coming up on 5 months at the end of this week. Time flies when your prostate has gone missing. How am I doing? Thanks for asking. Well, from what I read, I'm "within the norm" - yes, I know some of you will take issue with that statement. ;-) I've moved on from "big boy pull-ups" to real underwear, so that's a step in the right direction. What? No, I will not post photos. I've already been accused of over-sharing. But I can say this: a couple weeks after surgery, I felt like getting anywhere near normal again (stop snickering) wasn't going to happen. Most of the time these days, I don't think about it... which, from my perspective, seems pretty good.
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I sent the boat yard guy who is going to be doing the bottom paint refresh a "reminder" text today. Joan thought it was "too soon." I figured I'd confirm today, again on Thursday, and take the boat in Friday. I got a call from him today... seems he has "something going on" on Friday and won't be able to be there to get the boat in their service area. I wasn't surprised. Then, he asked me if I could bring it in Thursday morning instead? That did surprise me... a day early?
Frankly, it wasn't easy to pin him down on a time when I first visited with him two weeks ago. He is "very busy." This isn't my first try at getting any kind of service done around here... there are good workers, and there are people who follow through to get the job... pretty hard to find someone who is both. And finding someone who gets the work done when they say they will is even more rare. That's why, in spite of the spousal advice, I was working my plan to get the boat into the queue. My plan: I booked it two weeks ago; I went there in person one week ago to confirm it (he was a bit confused about when I was supposed to bring in the boat). I texted him each time, so he'd have it in writing: my name, the boat, the specific bottom paint, and when we agreed I'd bring it in.
If I had waited until Thursday to remind him again (probably on my way to go get the boat), he would not have been around to take the boat in on Friday. This is a new guy I'm dealing with, but I think they all went to the same School of Broken Promises. He assures me he will be there on Thursday at the agreed upon time, AND will have one of his workers there to work on the boat on Friday, even though he won't be there.
We'll see how this all plays out. But, you can be damn sure I'll confirm once more before I take it in on Thursday.
Tonight is the full moon...
The full moon, just as it came up over the horizon. No color added to the image, just from the atmosphere. Although, this is called the Super Pink Moon this month - one of two super moons this year. The "pink" in the name isn't from the color (it will look more white as it gets above the horizon), but named after the springtime blooms of a wildflower, moss phlox, which blooms this time of year.
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You know how some animals get a bit wild during the full moon? Yeah, not Rufus...
:-)
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The full moon at 9:30, higher in the sky and brighter...
Not for me - a special recognition for my brother-in-law, John Langer. John was recently inducted into the Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame! A deserved honor, as flying has been his life-long passion and his life's work. When John retired, he was the Director of Flight Operations for General Dynamics; the pinnacle of corporate flight operations.
Here is info from the Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame: "John F. Langer was born at Denison in 1936 and graduated from Denison High School, he studied as an aviation mechanic apprentice before graduating in 1954. At age 17, he earned his private pilot’s license. After serving in the United States Air Force, he worked as a pilot for Gregory Aviation in Omaha, Western Contracting Corporation, and Ling-Temco-Vought Corporation. In 1977, he began working for General Dynamics Corporation. In March 1980, he captained the first corporate flight in the modern era between Egypt (Heca) and Israel (LLGB). In 1996, he became Director of Corporate Flight Operations. remaining in this position until retirement in 2002. He received an award from the National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA) Flying Safety Awards program in recognition of 3,849,366 miles as pilot in command in 1983 and another NBAA Safety Award for 19,000 hours as pilot in command in 2001. He holds numerous aeronautical licenses and ratings, has logged more than 24,000 hours of accident and violation-free flight time and piloted 111 individual aircraft types. He currently resides in Denison."
One of the more fun things I did while an active pilot was taking John to the Oshkosh Fly-In, where we camped under the wing of the Baron I had at the time. Even though he was flying some of the finest corporate aircraft, he was excited to see what all was happening in the world of general aviation aircraft.
Those who have flown with him know he is an outstanding pilot; those of us who know him know he is a good man. He certainly deserves this recognition.
Here is a photo from 2017, the last time John and I flew together...
That is in his Piper Cub, similar to the plane in which he gave me those lessons when I was 16. John is my brother-in-law, more like a true brother, and a father-figure to me in my formative years.
Congratulations, John!
Another gorgeous day in the Tropical Tip. I took Joan's Xmax out for a ride... this time, I clipped the Insta 360 camera on for the ride.
The traffic was similar to yesterday (with no photo or video evidence). Lots of people on South Padre Island. Lots of rental golf carts out and about. The traffic getting onto the island was backed up for about a mile on the causeway again. To be expected on weekends until summer starts; then, it will be heavier traffic all the time. Summer is the big season on SPI.
I enjoyed riding Joan's Xmax. Just for the change of pace. For this video, I put the camera on a selfie stick clipped to the rear rack on the Xmax. For a couple clips, I swung the camera down by the exhaust pipe (lower view); then, some with the camera closer to my helmet, looking like the point of view of a passenger. While the editing does take a while (those 360 files are large to work with), I enjoy being able to decide what to show after I get home and look at the video.
Xmax Scooting...
If the above 4 minute video is more time than you want to invest, here's the "movie trailer" for it... 48 seconds...
No, this isn't like a Facebook Memory. One year ago, things were locked down tight around here: essential travel only (checkpoints at the edge of town, where you could get a $200 fine if you weren't on your way to work, the grocery store, or a medical appointment), the beach was closed, bars were closed, no more that 2 people in a vehicle, no children under 14 allowed in the grocery stores. Port Isabel and South Padre Island looked like ghost towns.
Forward to today: we tend to avoid going out on the weekends, to avoid the traffic. But, I was feeling the need for some Vespa time. I checked the webcams to see how traffic looked on the causeway - not bad. I geared up and headed out for a ride. Riding across the causeway, traffic was flowing nicely... until I got to the top of the high part - I could see traffic was down to a crawl and bumper-to-bumper about a mile onto the causeway.
I didn't bring a camera along today, but here's a screenshot from Waze...
My timing was good - all the way up the island, back over to the main drag, and no traffic slow-downs. There is a custom car show happening at the Convention Center, so the bulk of the traffic seemed to be heading that direction. Easy riding back south to the causeway; very light traffic on the causeway heading off the island, traffic backed up even further to get on the island.
Coming back to our island, I had a two-minute wait for the bridge (lots of boat traffic); so, again, good timing.
Rufus. What else?
The boy sleeps hard...
He was really bellering - pretty sure you could hear him all the way down the canal. "My Daddy's home!"
"It's probably time for a treat, huh?"
To be fair, he thinks it is always time for a treat. He had to wait for his until I got back from my second garbage run of the day, on my e-hog...
I made a run early this morning, then another one this afternoon. The blue and silver things on the footboard of the e-scoot is a pair of folding camp chairs. They have lived a long and useful life, and the fabric has weathered plenty of UV exposure. Their time has come. For our summer out in the coach, they have been replaced with a zero gravity chair for Joan and a camp chair with "suspension" (allows it to rock) for me.
This little e-scoot has worked out just as I had expected... I kinda look forward to taking the garbage to our community compactor these days. ;-)
It's a tie! Rufus and Tasha (Steph's big fancy girl, Siberian Forest Cat) tied for first place!
"I think a tie is a good way to end it. Give Tasha a hug and tell her congratulations on being super CUTE and having a Momma willing to commit voter fraud for her. Also, congratulations to Spicy (the guinea pig) and all the other exceptionally cute contestants!"
Rufus, ever the good boy and good sportsman said, “Thanks for letting me be in the contest!”
Whew, that was a long time coming. If it had come down to the talent competition, I think Rufus would have taken it all, with his exceptional leash walking. But, I may be biased.
Now, we can get back to real life. Today, we made a trip out to the motorhome - it got put away after driving through rain on the way back from Austin in January. This looked like the best (coolest) in the next week, so we headed out early to the storage unit. I pulled the coach out of the storage unit and put it on a concrete pad to wash it. While I worked on that, Joan swept out the storage unit, filled up tires on the boat trailer (it will come out next week to get fresh bottom paint), vacuumed inside the coach, and put stuff away. I didn't see her working, so she may have been sitting with her feet up, eating bon-bons. This is proof of me toiling away...
In the end, the motorhome looks good, and the storage unit is nice and tidy. I climbed up into the boat and took the battery out of it to take home and charge. We put it away clean and draped the cover over it, so it doesn't need much else.
It an amazing bit of good timing, it sprinkled for about 30 seconds 5 minutes after I put the coach back in the storage unit. I should buy a lottery ticket.
It was after lunch time when we were done - Joan suggested we go to the island and pick up BBQ at Porky's to take home. Unanimous vote. Porky's used to be in Port Isabel, but they lost their lease - it took a while, but they were able to find a place to put their food trailer on SPI (food trucks and trailers have to be "approved" by a brick and mortar restaurant, but that's another discussion). The BBQ is just as good as when they had their fixed location, and our bellies were happy.
When we got home, I told Rufus about the news of him tying for first place in the Cute Cat Contest. He said, "That's nice - can I have a treat?" I assume Steph's school will be sending out some kind of huge trophy. I wonder if they will be doing press releases or if I should write up something for the local media?
;-)
That usually means we're going somewhere. We're not. Well, not right away.
I am, of course, talking about the vote for "Cutest Pet" in Steph's class. It has expanded into the whole grade level. With school moving from all on-line to a combination of in-person, hybrid, and on-line, things have been moved around. Apparently this whole "Cutest Pet" thing is no longer a priority. Supposedly, the final tally will happen tomorrow. Now for disclosure, I heard: a couple weeks ago, this past Monday, and now Thursday. Pretty sure that pushing back was to allow Steph extra time to lobby for her 3 cats.
I have some insider information that the overall winner will be a guinea pig named Spicey, but Rufus is leading in the cat division. Steph's female, Tasha, is making a last minute surge. Vote tampering? Well, I won't go far as to say that... but, you do the math.
I sent Steph another photo of Rufus to show her class, but apparently school work was more important. Sure. It made Rufus sad. Very sad...
If you think this is going to be some expose' about me passing gas, you don't really know me. I almost never pass gas, and when I do, it doesn't stink. OK, here's the deal: everyone farts. When Stephanie was little, she was aghast when I told her, "Even Nancy Regan farts. The Queen of England farts. Everyone farts."
In my misspent youth, I was in a band - 9 guys traveling around in a bus. Farting was a competitive sport. We had a rule, that anyone driving the bus at night had to have a spotter, making sure the driver stayed awake. We all took turns. On regular occasions, the inside of the bus would light up when someone in back lit a fart. Yes, with a match. Until those band days, I was not aware that this was a thing. Probably more information than you needed.
What brought on this fart talk? Thank you for asking. On one of the scooter forums where I spend way too much time, this question came up: "Does your HPE Vespa make farting noises after you turn it off?" I thought it was some kind of joke... really, my Vespa does not fart. I have owned it for almost 6 months now, and she has been a perfect lady.
My routine is to put her away in the cargo trailer after each ride. Once I got back in the house, I realized I forgot to take the keys out of the ignition (I used to leave the keys in my previous Vespa all the time). I went out to the side door of the trailer, opened it up, and.... pfffffffffffffffffttt. Apparently this lovely blue Italian has waited for me to get inside before relieving herself of any pent-up "pressure." Surprise!
Kinda reminds me of the time we saw the Queen of England, and she said, "Jim, pull my royal finger."
Still messing with the GoPro camera. In a couple tests with it, it does a good job on jpg images. I took it with me on the scoot today. What a giant pain in the ass to use with my phone as the shutter release. The "button" on the phone screen is about half the size of the one on the Insta 360 app. What it makes up for with being small is: it doesn't take the photo about 3/4 of the time when you press that button. Yes, I'm kidding - it is more like 7/8 of the time it doesn't take the photo.
What a beautiful day today: gorgeous blue sky, lots of sun, and a light breeze. Even the humidity was downright pleasant. The only frustration today was that damn camera. When I can get it to take the photo, it does an adequate job. I thought I was taking about 40 photos today... the camera actually took 7. Painfully slow on the shutter delay using the phone as a remote.
But, did I mention what a lovely day? And a nice scooter ride. And some mostly insignificant images...
I visited with my new friend Angel today about getting the boat bottom paint refreshed. He is booked a ways out for service work, but has assured me he'll get me in a week from Friday. I know how these things go around here, so I'll be sure to send him a couple reminders before that time. We'll see how it plays out.
Out for a ride on the Vespa this afternoon, I wanted to try a two camera set-up: a GoPro on a chest mount and the Insta 360 mounted on the mirror stalk. I can only control one camera at a time with my phone, so I just turned on the GoPro and let it run, choosing to control the Insta with my phone.
I expected I'd see the speedometer and a view through the windshield with the GoPro, and that's kinda how it worked out. "Kinda," because it looked cluttered from that perspective. Since I went through the work of setting it up, I decided to do a short video anyway. The preview and the video...
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This morning, while out for my bicycle ride, the aftermath of the wind and rain over the weekend was apparent with the tree-debris spread across the street...
That's the dead needles from the hard freeze we had in February. On the bright side, there are signs that some flowering plants are coming back...
Blooming cacti above and below...
Pretty quiet on that morning ride... no traffic to dodge while looking around and taking a few photos. A nice week ahead, weather-wise.
While walking Rufus this evening, a van slowed down as they passed. A young worker for an RV/car wash service looked at Rufus and said, "I haven't seen a cat on a leash before - that's cool!" He is not wrong.
There is currently a vote going on in the 4 classes at Steph's grade level... no one is running for office. It's a contest for the "Cutest Pet." There are some cats (Steph's included), dogs, a couple guinea pigs, and a bird. Since I did speak to her class via Zoom last month, it seemed only right that Rufus should be in the contest... not to mention that Steph has talked about Rufus in her homeroom (when they can have open topics). The vote will run today through Thursday... as of right now, Rufus is in the lead. Of course, there is always the possibility of someone on the inside using their influence to sway the voters... I'm not mentioning any names, but word has it that Steph changed her submitted photos at the last minute. This was Rufus's entry...
My completely unbiased opinion is: if I were allowed to vote, I would vote for this extremely cute cat. I will keep you updated on this, or you should be able to see coverage of this election on the major television networks. ;-)
Joan is now my official content manager. This morning, she showed me a video she liked of a remake of the Tears for Fears song Mad World. So, in about 10 hours, I learned the song, recorded 6 music tracks (including 3 part vocal harmony), acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, and a bit of percussion.
Then, this afternoon, I started on some video for it. Ran the video by the CM (content manager), and she said, "Needs more cowbell." I'm kidding, she didn't say that. I had originally done this as another Staying At Home video, and did a single video straight through. Not easy, by the way. The CM said, "I think it would be better if you shot some more video, with different views and some guitar playing."
Um... OK.
Another couple hours and...
Yesterday, I recorded 5 tracks for another Captain Jim Staying At Home Video. It was a gray, blustery day in the Tropical Tip... I didn't feel like going outside to play, so I shot some video to accompany the song from yesterday; all done in my home recording "studio."
I started with the Spire Studio to record the tracks, then used my iPhone to shoot the video. Video production with iMovie on my MacBook Pro. The result...
On one of the RV forums where I've participated for years, there is a joke thread. The last couple days, there has been a lot of dog content on that thread - not really jokes, but about all the redeeming qualities of a dog...
Rufus appreciated all the dog content when I read it to him...
He
asked if he could get a puppy. I explained to him that it is a lot of
responsibility and would very likely cut into his nap times. "Yeah,
but, people said all those good things."
"Yes, but you have to feed a dog, walk a dog, pickup up after it poops outside, brush it, and train it," I told him.
"Train it? Pick up its poop? Cut into my nap time? I may have to rethink this," he said.
"Why do people have dogs if they are so much work?" he asked.
"Because they become a part of the family."
"Like me?"
"Yes, Ruf."
He said, "I have you and Mom - you're all the pets I need."
"You're a good boy, Rufus."
Rufus and I thank you for all that good dog content.
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Joan said, "You've had a good day."
Yep. Nice thing about being retired: most of the time you get to do what you want. I got out for my bicycle ride this morning; it was a lovely day. After breakfast, I started working on another recording project... a solo effort on a song Mark and I did a couple years ago. Joan asked what my plan was for the song, and I had to say I didn't really have a plan... "I'm going to go into the music room and see how it plays out."
I had a good time trying a few different things, then started laying down some tracks. When I came out to feed Rufus his lunch, Joan said, "It is sounding good - I really like that song." She was the impetus for this effort: a few days ago when I was playing for her and Rufus, she requested this song... I had forgotten much of it since I hadn't played it in over a year.
I got the tracks recorded. I'll work on some video another day.
Then, out for a ride on the Vespa. Just riding around. Enjoying the afternoon. Nice way to wrap up the afternoon.
If you said, "Two bits," you get 10 bonus points. If you said, "What is 'two bits'?" you're a whippersnapper. Two bits is a slang term for a quarter. If you can remember getting a shave and a haircut for 25¢, you are a lot older than I am, making me a whippersnapper. If you said, "What's a 'whippersnapper'?" get off your Mom's computer and go get your homework done... ya damn whippersnapper. If you said, "Shave and a haircut - two bits, from a song written in 1899 by Charles Hale, made popular in 1939 by Milton Berle. If you've read this far, you get 20 bonus points for wading through this.
While riding my bike the other day, I took some photos of the fog; took this one as a selfie...
That scruff coming out on the right side of my head (camera left) is not ear hair - it is from the palm tree behind me; although I have sometimes joked that I am thinking of doing a comb-over... with my ear hair, since it seems to grow faster than the hair left on my head. If that doesn't gross you out enough, that isn't a mustache in that photo, it is a comb-over with nose hair.
I asked Joan if she'd give me a haircut this morning. During the "staying at home" stuff, I could stay nicely quaffed, thanks to my live-in stylist. My favorite part of getting an at-home (or on the road) haircut is getting the long black cape draped over me... "Rufus, I am your Father" in my best James Earl Jones (Darth Vadar) voice. I think Joan would be disappointed if I didn't say that every single time.
After the haircut, I usually trim my beard. I decided I'd "go fresh" for spring and shaved it all off...
That is a lot of upper lip. My English side wants to keep it stiff. My Irish side wants to laugh at it. It's been a few years since I've seen my naked face... not sure if Rufus (sitting on the back of the chair behind me in the photo above) has ever seen my naked face. Pretty sure his only concern is if he will get lunch on time. I'm always on time.
I asked Joan before I shaved (since she has to look at my face more than I do), if she had an opinion... "Don't go with just a mustache"... seems I prefer it to go down towards my chin when I do just a mustache (Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider), and she likes it looking like a 1930s matinee idol if I have to have a mustache. So... chop it off.
We'll see how long this lasts. In the last 5 decades, I've had more time with face hair than without. But, in the grand scheme of things: this is way better for eating ice cream. ;-)
Not mine. Yesterday, Joan asked me to check into getting the boat bottom paint refreshed. Not necessarily to get the boat in any time soon, but to have it ready, in case we decide to put it in.
I never thought there'd be a time when I was indifferent about boating. When we had the C-Dory, I could not have been more gung-ho about exploring new waters. I've said it before, but I have to disagree somewhat with that old saying, "Find what you enjoy, then figure out a way to make a living doing that, and you'll never feel like you're working." Somewhat true, to a point. Once you are doing what you enjoy for a living, over time it changes how you feel about that endeavor. Well, speaking just for myself. Over the decades, I've had passions for music, photography, flying, boating... and as each of those activities intertwined with jobs, schedules, and free time, it became part of the job. When something becomes the bulk of your day, it is nice to find something different to do when you step away from work.
I truly enjoyed the captain jobs I've had, but they were all... jobs. Having the small pontoon, is a nice distraction... I enjoy getting out to see the dolphins. Sunrise on the water is a treat. But, even a small pleasure boat involves some work. Getting it in the water, getting it out, cleaning it up, oil change, trailer bearings, replacing stuff as needed. There is a difference when you are living on a boat, cruising daily, and when it sits at the dock, waiting for you to go out.
This morning, while riding my bicycle around the Village, I came across two guys doing bottom paint on a boat in an empty lot. I visited with them for a moment, but their English was no better than my Spanish, and I think they were more concerned that I was going to chew them out for doing that work in a site here. They had a tarp down and seemed to be careful in the paint application.
That led me to calling my buddy, Mike, to ask about his experience with a local boat shop. Local as in: just a couple blocks on the other side of the bridge to get off our island. He gave me a name and a number, and I visited with Angel... he shot me a tentative price (yes, I expect it will be more than that) and a time (I expect it will take longer to get at than he said), but I've put the bottom painting on the front burner. Well, close to the front burner.
With my current feelings about it, I have no angst about needing to get the boat back in as soon as possible. No, I haven't developed that mañana attitude, it just isn't a priority. "Two and a half weeks" is what I was told for when he could get the boat in... gives me plenty of time to go through all the boat stuff to see what needs to be updated, replaced, cleaned, repaired; wears me out just thinking about it. ;-)
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We did some running today, into Brownsville. Of course, that meant a stop at Chick-fil-A... a box of 30 nuggets holds us for a while, interspersed as the occasional snack. But, I'm not hooked - I could quit anytime. If I wanted to.
Later, there was a quiet knock at the door. The UPS driver was being more petite than usual. Joan took the goodies she ordered out of the box and...
"I love this box - it's all I ever wanted! Thank you SO much!" The boy is very appreciative. ;-)
A bit later... "Oh, the box is even better now - it's a walk-in! When I lay down, I can see out. Best box ever!" (until the next one)...
... (not) in London town. If you said, "George and Ira Gershwin, 1937," you get 10 bonus points for knowing how to use Google. ;-)
A foggy start to the day here in the Tropical Tip. From my bike ride this morning...
That's my favorite foggy view, looking down our canal. Others...
Not much activity out there this morning; a few dog walkers. Joan asked if I was wet from the fog... "Here, feel my beard."
"Eww - were you drooling on yourself?" Yeah, I still got it.
It's been a while since the two of us have gone out together on the scoots... Mother Nature, stuff to do... Joan suggested we get out on the scoots, and I was all in.
I got the scoots out and ready to roll, hooked the 360 camera on my helmet, and off we went. It was warm and humid, but not much wind... yes, a real change of pace. No destination, we stayed mostly on the back roads in rural Cameron County. Good to be out.
I shot a bunch of 360 video, but the only photos I took were at the end of the ride, with my phone while we were waiting for a push boat and a couple barges to move through the bridge opening so we could get back on our island...
And, here's the video (with the music track by Mark & Jim)...
Are you OK? Yes, thanks for asking. It's a matter of binge watching, a side-effect of all the staying at home over the past year. I blame my neighbor, David, for saying something. When he and I were visiting a while back, he asked if I had seen the TV series Heartland.
"Can't say I have," I replied, and he told me how good it was. I mentioned that to Joan. And the rest, as they say, isn't really history, but but it seems like a historic endeavor. Heartland is a series about a Canadian ranch family. It only takes an episode or two and you're hooked. I think there are 14 seasons, with about 100 episodes in each season. Yes, I'm exaggerating... and I almost never do that. There are a lot of episodes.
I would call this series wholesome, with some humor, a lot of emotion, and a family that has the normal angst of relationships, kids, occasional health issues, more relationships... my favorite character is the curmudgeonly patriarch, Jack, even though the principle couple is Ty and Amy (Jack's granddaughter, who he helped raise), and they grow through school age, and become an adult couple. And a very large cast of characters.
By the nature of it, binge watching implies that you do a whole season over a weekend or so. With so many episodes in this series, we haven't left the house in over a week, haven't showered in about that same time frame, and have eaten more bags of Cheetos in the past three weeks than the previous decade. Yes, I'm kidding... I don't even like Cheetos that much. ;-) At our current rate of 12 episodes per day, we should be through the entire series by early June. Kidding again - if we stay at it, maybe late May.
In the meantime, I have ordered a saddle, bridle, spurs, boots, Wranglers, and a horse from Amazon. I'm all in. Joan is, likewise, involved... there is a Joan-size indentation on the couch cushions. Rufus goes back and forth between the couch and the Lazy Boy - referring to the recliner I sit in, not me. I have had to give up riding my e-bike, e-scooter, and Vespa, because if I'm gone, I will be behind on episodes, or even worse: miss them completely. Then, I'll have to ask Joan what I missed... and she doesn't want to tell me, because she might miss something while telling me what I've missed.
Fortunately, we're not obsessed, though. We did introduce Steph and Dan to Heartland while they were here (they came in around mid-season 4, I think), but they've only managed to watch two episodes since they've been home (for nearly a week). Lightweights. Apparently, that whole having-a-job thing has cut into their Heartland viewing time... they need to establish priorities.
Gotta go - Amy is going into labor, and my formerly white t-shirt has turned mostly orange-ish. Rufus just said, "Dude, if you aren't going to shower, you need to at least lick your paws."
Netflix... potentially addictive? We've also coined the phrase, "Darn you Heartland," as we reach for a tissue. Kidding again - as a potential rough and tumble soon-to-be cowboy, I hide my emotions.
