What Is Hip?

 

If you said, "Tower of Power, 1973," you get 40 bonus points.  It's a good song; well, that's how I feel about everything Tower of Power.  Love me some horn bands, and there aren't that many of 'em around these days.

If you're thinking, "At your age, when 'hip' comes up, you're probably thinking about that titanium replacement you have," you lose the above 40 bonus points.

We had a lovely morning.  Joan said, "This is going to be a big transition day, with a lot of people heading back north since it's the end of the month - weather like this will give them something to remember and keep them anxious to come back.  I got out for a bicycle ride, with a temperature in the upper 60s and low (as in: 37%) humidity.  Back from my ride, I took Rufus out for a walk - he was truly enjoying being out and about.

When we got back from his walk, I put on some riding pants and took the motorcycle out for a ride.  Seems like there hasn't been time for that lately, or Mother Nature has been a bit more volatile than usual.  The riding was great... blue sky, sunshine, very light breeze.  Nobody tried to kill me.  I didn't even see anyone run a red light.  One in a row!

One of the things we took out of our storage unit inland is the original seat for my CTX.  While out for my ride, I said to myself: "Self, you should try that original seat again."  I got caught at our bridge on the way home...

It wasn't a long wait - just the pirate ship (one of the local excursion boats).  Back in the driveway, I took the Corbin seat off the bike and got the original seat out of the cargo trailer.  Those seats are very different: the original seat is soft(ish) and low profile; the Corbin seat is very firm (like a saddle for a horse), thicker, and took some time to "break in" to fit me nicely.

I took a photo of the stock seat on the bike, with the Corbin on top of that...

No, you wouldn't use it like that.  Look how much thicker the Corbin (on top) is compared to the stock seat.  The stock seat has a bit of "spring" to it - makes the ride a bit cushier.  I rode the bike with the stock seat on it around the village - not a real test of the feel of it.  So, next time I get out on the bike, I'll give it a longer ride test on that original seat.  I think that original seat could be good, but it is going to need some foam removed in the area of my tailbone.  TMI?

Then, the rest of the morning plan: I made us a French toast breakfast (with bacon and sausage).  Late breakfast out on our deck.  With some music in the background.  Yeah, Tower of Power.

This is a true "Chamber of Commerce" kinda day.

We're not the only ones who didn't have a restful night...

 

Referring to the previous post and getting up at 1:08 am, thanks to my phone emergency alert going off due to thunderstorms rolling through.  When we went back to bed, Rufus slept on my face... for a while, before settling back in.

Steph sent this photo to us last night...

 

That image is hysterically funny to me, probably because I know each of those cats - those are our grandcats.  They are in that carrier because the whole family is in a motel for the next two nights.  They had to get out of the house so their realtor could do an open house on Saturday and Sunday.  Yes, they packed up the whole menagerie, including Blaine the Guide Dog for the Blind, Puppy In Training.  From left to right above, that is Alfie (big male Siberian Forest Cat), Tango (the shelter rescue), and Tasha (also a Siberian, and the Alfa Female).  Seems that Tango was up crying most of the night.  And Blaine the puppy, slept (and snored) fine through the night.

 

It's going to be a long weekend for all of them.

I didn't set an alarm...

 

Really.  Then, why did my phone alarm go off at 1:08 am???  Yeah, another storm.  I could say, "This isn't typical for this time of year," but the weather isn't typical anywhere these days.   "These days?" you ask, "What are you, a hundred years old?"  Feels like it... at 1:08 in the middle of the night... when I was sound asleep at 1:07.

We had been watching the incoming weather before we went to bed - thunderstorms, wind gusts to 70 mph, heavy rain, and hail were impacting the upper valley.  We took down our flag and covered the patio furniture before we went to bed.  Watched more of the local weather (that stayed on the air) before turning over to go to sleep.

And then the alarm.  Of course, we both got up and checking outside, it was obviously the calm before the storm.  We turned on a TV again, and the local weather was still staying on the air - the worst of it was over for the upper Valley, and now impacting the lower Valley (closer to the coast).  With reports of "half dollar size hail," we decided to put down the hurricane shutters on the north side of the house.  Then, the gust front, followed by rolling thunder, and pounding rain.  The hail reports were now south of us.  The storm was fast moving, and by 2:15, we were on the back side of it.  You know it is a done deal when the local weather weasels turn it back to regular programming.

Back to bed.

New Job Description: Pilot

 

"Hey, Jim, I've heard you mention that you have a commercial/multi-engine/instrument pilot's license - are you going to put it to work?
 

No, but thanks for asking.  We have a large storage unit that is inland; it's where we keep the motorhome when we aren't using it.  There is enough room in there to have had the boat in there at the same time (when we had a boat).  And what is the rule about storage space?  That's right: it is your duty to try to fill it.  So, we have had a bunch of other stuff stored out there.  What kind of stuff, you ask?  Kinda nosy, aren't ya?

There was a wardrobe out there, full of winter coats.  From when we lived in the frozen northland.  And, you may want to hang onto stuff like that, in case the "super volcano" in Yellowstone blows and we are all plunged into a new Ice Age.  Kidding, of course - who would want to survive that?  A bin of motorcycle stuff.  Some boat stuff.  Some RV stuff (like a well-preserved Trav-A-Sack).

Since we have decided to make this big move, I take stuff and I "pile it" over here... and "pile it" over there.  Today, we took stuff from that big storage unit inland and put some of it in the climate controlled smaller storage unit here in town.  Get it?  Pile it... pilot.  More keep/donate/toss.  We took some nice stuff to the thrift shop to donate.  They seemed genuinely happy to get it.

One more thing we found in there: 2 more Apple MacBooks (a G4 from 2001 and a G4 Pro from 2005)... well, technically, that is two more things.  We missed getting those in the e-Trash collection from last Saturday.  These will be tossed.  No way to turn them on, but in case someone should find them and try to get any personal info off them... I took a hammer to them.

Those G4 Pro laptops were, indeed, made with titanium shells.  It laughed at my attempts to pound through the metal.  I tried hammering it, using a screwdriver as an awl... it broke the screw driver.  This calls for drastic measures: a carbide drill bit...

That did the job.  The batteries have been removed and will be taken to a battery recycler.  Two less things I will have to "pilot."

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Oh, and I was wrong about the medical conglomerate the doctor (from Wednesday's post) belongs to... they DID send me a survey; got it late this afternoon.  I did tell them exactly what went on during that visit.  Gave them my name and phone number (it was optional).  Wanna take any bets as to whether anyone will respond to what I wrote in that survey?  (this wasn't just "rate it from 1 to 10" questions - there was room for comments.  I commented.

Droning on...

 

I haven't had my small drone out in a while.  This morning, I topped off all the batteries and took it outside to see if I could remember how to run it: some views of our house from the canal side...

 

A very short video...

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Walking Ruf right before his lunch, a guy walking by said, "I love those - that's a Maine Coon isn't it?"

My standard response: "His vet says he is, but I'm thinking he's a mix of Maine Cool and cool cat."

The guy said he'd love to have a Maine Coon, but can't handle the shedding.  When I told him that daily brushing really cuts down on that, he said, "Well, I have proven that I don't do that adulting thing very well, so I'd probably not be good at that daily brushing."  He went on and on about how good looking Rufus is.  I can't say I take pride in Rufus's looks, but he kinda puffs up when people gush about him.  The boy understands.

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We have an appraiser coming today to look the house over (from the buyer's lender).  She told me she had "12:30 to 2:00" blocked off for us.  At 1:30 and no sign of them, I gave her a call... "I was just going to call you.  The traffic is terrible and it has been raining hard off and on.  Can we still come today?"

"Sure, where are you right now?"  When she told me, I knew they were at least an hour away.  And shortly after that, it started raining here.  Guess I'll go ahead and have lunch.  Now, 3:00 and they haven't called to say they are close.  We live in a gated community, so they won't just be "dropping in."  And now they'll get to walk around outside in the rain.  Assuming they actually get here.

At 3:10, I got a call - they're here.  Two young ladies.  Joan lent them an unbrella so their iPad wouldn't get wet from the rain.  They measured and took photos.  It was pretty much a non-event.  Less than a half hour.  We won't get their results - that goes to the lender.  Just so long as the house appraises for at least the selling price.

One more step done.

 

You need to be your own medical advocate...

 

A doctor appointment today.  I went into this armed with good information on my blood pressure, blood sugar, blood oxygen, A1C, a bunch of other numbers, and most significantly: the fact that there is no change in the "insignificant" number for my PSA.  Really, all I needed was for him to re-up on my perscriptions and ask how I'm doing.

I was assigned this guy last year when my regular internist retired.  He and I did not click from Day 1.  I have Medicare and a good supplement -  he was like a kid in a candy store, wanting to order every test imaginable.  Well, after I had to wait an hour and a half in the waiting room, then another 45 minutes in the exam room.  I finally had to say to him, "I don't need all those tests."

His response: "It costs you nothing - your insurance pays for all of this."

My response: "It costs the insurance company plenty, but most of all, these tests aren't necessary and are a waste of my time."

I really thought we had come to an understanding.  For some reason, he has an obsession with me having a sleep apnea test.  He also has me come back every 3 months, and runs more blood tests... which means I have to go there twice: once a week ahead of time for them to draw blood, then again for the actual appointment.  All my tests and numbers are in the normal range.

When his nurse took my blood pressure and asked about refilling prescriptions, I told her I wanted a paper prescription and did NOT want to have them call in my prescriptions.  She fought me on that: "We don't even have a prescription pad anymore - it's all electronic."

I said, "I guess I will have to go to a different doctor who can actually write a prescription."

She said, "I'll look around to see if we still have a pad somewhere, but the doctor is going to tell you the same thing."

"I will be telling him the same thing - if you can't do what I ask, I can go to another doctor."

Amazingly, they got me into the exam room right at my scheduled appointment time (first time ever with this doctor).  Then, only 15 minutes to wait for him.  I thought things were looking up.  First thing out of his mouth was: "What is the problem with us calling in the prescription?"

I explained how none of my prescriptions are done (there are still refills to be had), but we travel and it is much easier for me to get the meds while traveling if I have a paper copy.  He offered to give me a "paper copy" that is just a print out of the electronic version."  It's a ******* copy, on copy paper.  I tried to use that last time (when we had the same discussion) and Walgreens thought I was trying to do something illegal with that copy.  "Are you shitting me?  It's blood pressure medicine, not a controlled substance."

The doctor told me that they have never had an issue with a patient using one of those "copy machine" scrips... I told him otherwise.  He told me that "it would take an extra 10 minutes to write those by hand - do you want me to inconvenience the next patient over this?"

"So, you're OK with inconveniencing me?  I'll just go to a different doctor - this whole conversation is stupid."

He relented and said they'd do the paper prescriptions.  Then listened to my heart and lungs.  And said, "When was the last time you had an EKG done?"

"About 3 1/2 years ago, and it was normal."

He said, "We should really do an EKG today, then you can come back next week for those results."

"No."

He said, "What?"

I said, "I said 'no'... what I meant was 'Oh, hell no!"

Then he went into the "it costs you nothing" routine.

I stood up and said, "You and I are done.  I'll go to a different doctor."

"No, no, no - I can tell you are upset.  We can do the EKG in 3 months."

I said, "No, I won't be here in 3 months - that's why I need 6 months of meds, so I don't have to mess with this crap while we're traveling.  And I DON'T NEED an EKG."

"When will you be back?"

"September, maybe October."

"I'll have the office manager set you up with an appointment in late September for a Medicare Wellness Checkup.  You should be doing that annually."

I could tell he wasn't going to stop.  On the bright side: I got the written prescriptions.  On the even brighter side, he can take his late September appointment and shove it up... well, I will be polite and cancel it a couple weeks ahead of time.  It's probably a good thing they didn't take my blood pressure while I waited for 10 minutes to get the actual written prescriptions.

Maybe this is how it is these days with doctor visits?  Pretty sure they won't ask me to do a survey on this doctor visit... last time I got one of those, I gave him 2 stars out of 5... because of the bullshit I have to deal with, and the wasted time.  I'm pretty sure they have doctors in Phoenix.

 

Relaxing...

 

Joan asked for a relaxing morning (she has been working hard around the house and getting things packed) - her idea of relaxing: sitting outside on the deck, getting a "private concert," and having breakfast cooked for her.

I can do that.

When I got back from my bicycle ride, I took Rufus for a walk... because he's a good boy.  And he wanted to go for a walk.  And he wanted me to play some music, too.  With the walking done, he went out on the deck to sit with Joan, and I joined them, bringing my Emerald X7.

It was a humid morning, but the temperature was comfortably in the 70s.  My Emeralds don't mind changes in humidity (like going from inside to outside here).  No neighbors around us on the canal side, but I still played and sang quietly.  For almost an hour.  Playing to my audience of two.

When my belly told me it was time, I put my guitar away and fired up the griddle.  Joan asked for French toast today; she bought some cinnamon bread yesterday and wanted to try that.  As usual, she did the prep work while I got started on the bacon and sausage.  When she brought out the egg dip for the cinnamon bread, I got that going on the griddle.  I don't remember if I've made French toast on that before, but it came out nice.  Joan gave her compliments to the chef.

Then, we sat out there, enjoying what was left of the morning.  Steph sent us a link to the photos from their real estate agent, who had staged their house for the open house they'll be having this weekend.  The place looks great!  I'll be interested to hear how the open house goes.

I know what you're thinking: it has been too long since you posted a Rufus image.  See - I'm psychic.  Or psychotic.  It's one of those psych things.  Thanks for asking, and here's a photo of my big furry boy while sitting by my chair out on the deck...

Looking up adoringly at his Pops.  'Cause he's my boy.  And, he's a good boy.  I don't know... he may have been thinking: "Where's my French toast??"  No, he wasn't thinking that; he doesn't eat people food.  He keeps a close eye on my whereabouts as it gets close to his lunch time.

The morning after...

 

That was quite a storm yesterday.  After reading the post, Steph texted, "Are you 3 OK?"  Yes, we're fine.  Inside the house, it was a non-event.  Looking out the windows and seeing the palm trees bend and the rain blowing sideways showed what Mother Nature was up to.

At least two boats got loose in our canals; one is aground in the lake area (essentially a wide spot that has been dredged out at the south side of the development, and another got snagged by a good samaritan before it blew out into the Intracoastal.

Riding my bicycle around this morning (still cool and windy), I had to dodge palm branches that were down in the street, lots of big puddles, and the occasional shingle.  Some damage to park homes with car ports and skirting...

We walked around our place as soon as the storm let up - no damage.  The tide was high at the worst of the storm.  I heard the water got above the seawall in the lowest parts of the island, but I didn't see an effects of that.  It got up to the second step on the lowest part of our dock, so still a couple feet from the top of our seawall.

We watch the incoming weather on radar before it got here.  Joan took down our flag and put the cover on the patio furniture.  That was about it for our "pre-storm prep."

Rufus did fine with the commotion going on outside.  He sat on my lap during the worst of it, and lifted his head up when bits of branches hit the north side of the house.

All good here.

Tornado warning??

 

Not a watch - a warning.  On our phones and on the local TV channels.  In our county.  Right now, between us and Brownsville.

It went from dead calm outside to rain blowing horizontally at 60+ mph in less than a minute.

The NWS radar above, then this on TV a couple minutes later...

We got a call from the people who are looking to buy our house: "Did you see the tornado warning?"

"Yes, we did.  Radar shows the worst of it will pass just north and west of us.  We know you are in a park home, so if you want to come over here, this house is built stout.  You can bring your dog."  Shortly after that, the rain was so heavy and blowing so hard you couldn't see across the canal.  We didn't see them, so they must have decided to wait it out where they were.

Reports of hail north and west of us, and a possible tornado sighting near the Port of Brownsville.  A flood advisory in our part of the county.  A couple "plunks" on the north side of the house, but it wasn't hail - I'm assuming palm branches or something else in the wind.  As the worst of it passes us, there will still be a couple hours of rain and thunderstorms...

It is unusual to have tornado warnings here.  It was an ugly squall line.  The worst of it was less then a half hour.  Now, it is winding down.

E-trash...

 

The majority of stuff on the internet?  Well, yeah; but I am referring to all those devices that get put in a cabinet when you update to something newer.

From the City of South Padre Island...

Earth Day E-Waste Recycling Event scheduled

The City of South Padre Island Environmental Health Services Department (EHSD) is hosting an Earth Day E-Waste Recycling Event. Join them on Saturday, April 22, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the South Padre Island Community Center, located at 4501 Padre Boulevard.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that United States consumers and
businesses discard televisions, computers, cell phones, and hard copy peripherals (including
printers, scanners, faxes) totaling 2.37 million tons per year.

 
Approximately twenty-five percent of these electronics were collected for recycling, with the
remainder disposed of primarily in landfills, where the precious metals cannot be recovered.
Chemicals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury found in e-waste are extremely hazardous to
our health. The goal for EHSD and its partners is to provide an opportunity for safe and
responsible recycling of unwanted electronics.

 
“This is a great opportunity for our community to properly dispose of electronics,” said Victor
Baldovinos, Environmental Health director. “By participating, you will reduce the negative
impact that improper disposal of e-waste would otherwise have on our delicate environment.”

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There were giant bins where people could dispose of their electronics.  I guess we weren't the only ones who had iPods, iPhones, satellite receivers, and other electronics that were non-functional or outdated.  A huge bin of discarded TVs.

Various kiosks set up to educate the public on recycling...

When you prepare to move once every 20 years, things kind of accumulate.

When I got home, Joan had been hard at it, rinsing the "rocket debris" off the south side of our house and the dock and railings.  Not even 9:30 on a Saturday morning, and we're already being productive.

Happy Earth Day!

Calm...

 

Before the storm?  I don't think so.  Are you practicing your deep breathing techniques?  Yes, I am; but that's not what this post is about.

Yesterday, with the launch of the SpaceX rocket, this area was abuzz with people and activity.  And then a mass exodus when that was over (with the "rapid unplanned disassembly").  By the time we ran some errands around 2:00, traffic was pretty much back to normal.

This morning, it was quiet around the resort as I rode my bicycle.  Downright calm.  Mother Nature was also calm... as in: no breeze.  That is unusual here, and combined with the overcast, it made for a very humid ride.  Still, it felt good to be out and about.  And enjoy the calm.  Before the weekend crowd rolls in.

Ahhhhhhhhh.

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You know what else is good for maintaining one's calm?  Yes, you are absolutely right: a motorcycle ride.  I took the CTX out and had a nice ride.  Warm and humid, but I was still "geared up."  It's self-preservation... only one close call and that was when I was turning off a main road and a woman in a big sedan looked right at me, then pulled right across my path.  She had the stop sign, I had the right of way - that doesn't matter if she had taken me off the road.  She didn't, but not from any concern on her part - I got on the brakes - hard - she didn't give me a second glance, other than looking like she smelled something bad.  But, really, other than that, it was a good ride.

Once back with the CTX, I took Joan's Xmax out for a ride, mostly to keep the battery juiced up.  Because I am a caring husband.  And I know I will have to replace the battery when it gets to that point.  But, I digress.  I've talked about how I enjoy riding her scoot.  It's a good performing bike.  It suits her as much as the CTX suits me.

Here's a file photo ('cause I didn't shoot anything today)...

And another look from the past: this was on my Facebook Memories from 10 years ago today...

We had recently switched from motorcycle to scooter, a move encouraged by Joan to keep me riding.  It was that long ago that I thought I was done riding because of that deteriorating hip... I couldn't throw a leg over a tall motorcycle (like the V-Strom I had), but it was easy to clear that step-through portion on the Honda PCX scoots.  Great little bikes - they renewed my passion for riding and it hasn't let up.  I really thought that was "the last bike I'm going to have"... yeah, that was 4 bikes ago.  I have learned not to say that again, about bikes or guitars.  ;-)

"A rapid unplanned disassembly..."

 

We were waiting in anticipation of the launch of the SpaceX Big Falcon Rocket this morning.  As I got out on my morning bicycle ride, there were crowds of people at every spot that had a view of the SpaceX Launch Facility...

 I got back from my ride with about 40 seconds left on the countdown.  Knowing it would be LOUD if it got off, I wanted to be here to reassure the big furry boy that everything is OK.  We can't see the launch facility from our deck, but we keep watch with an iPad (with a live view) out on the deck...

Then, a hold.  They were going through a series of final checks.  Nothing on the iPad about when the countdown would continue... and then there was a huge cheer from the crowd over at the gazebo.

Launch!

It takes about 5 seconds for the roar of the rocket engines to reach us...

I tried to shoot some video of it as the view of the rocket cleared the houses across the canal from us.  It was incredibly loud.  (more on that in a bit)

The smoke plume that was left after the rocket passed beyond our view...

I went around to the front of the house to see where the rocket might be, but it was just some smoke...

It all happened fast.  Things went south fast, and I'm not talking about the direction.  It appears that 7 of the engines (33 total) malfunctioned, and the rocket exploded several miles off the coast (less than 4 minutes after launch).  With the engine malfunctions, it started to rotate...

And then exploded...

Not what SpaceX officials were hoping for, but not unexpected.

Here's the video that I shot from our deck...

You can barely make out the rocket as it clears the houses across the canal from us.  The roar is incredibly loud; you can feel it in your chest.

SpaceX is saying they learned a lot from this test (and reiterated that it was "a test").

Rufus did OK with the roar, but he did stay close to the furniture as he moved around the house.  He was concerned, but not traumatized.  I came inside (to check on him) as soon as the rocket was out of sight from our vantage point on the deck - that all happened pretty fast.

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This afternoon, we had to run an errand over to SPI.  I was expecting huge traffic, but it was reasonably light.  One "after-effect" from the launch: there is a layer of sandy soot on our pretty white car and the south side of the house.  I held my breath as I lightly ran my finger on the car to see if it would come off...

Yes, it comes off.  Whew!  We had run the car through the carwash on Tuesday, so it was still looking good, until the launch.  After taking care of our errands, we stopped at the carwash again to get the Equinox looking good.  Elon owes me for a carwash!

Maybe tomorrow we'll hit the south side of the house with a hose and scrub-brush.

TX-DOT needs this sign...

 

I petitioned the TX Department of Transportation to put this up where necessary to warn drivers...

 They said it would be too expensive and choke out any other road signs because they'd have to put them up every 6 feet.  On every road in the state.  Yes, I am exaggerating - it would need to be every 3 feet.

Another "early out" morning for us - I needed to go to the doctor's office to get blood drawn for another "follow up"... or because he needs to make another payment on his Mercedes.  I'm kidding again... he should be able to pay cash for it thanks to my good insurance.

The doctor's office is about 45 minutes away.  The main highway to get there has been under construction for the past two years and you never know how long the delays will be.  So, we take a different 2-lane back road for most of it.  Seems like this particular road brings out more than the regular stupid we see every day here.

Today, I could see several trucks coming at us with their flashers on; they may have been driving a bit under the speed limit, but I wouldn't call it "slow moving traffic."  Just as we approached them, the stupid driver behind them decided this would be a good time to slowly pass them, while driving in the opposing (as in: MINE) lane.  A hard turn onto the shoulder by me prevented a head-on collision.  The driver in our lane made no attempt to get back into his own lane, nor to speed up to get around.  Literally, if I hadn't swerved when I did... well, it would not have been pretty.

A couple minutes after that, we saw what is a regular occurence in south Texas: someone driving mostly on the shoulder.  When we first came here, I thought that was a quaint custom: getting over so the car behind you could get around.  There have been public service announcements here that "the shoulder is NOT a driving lane."  Yet some people (mostly older) drive down the road, mostly on the shoulder...

I am speaking about the vehicle furthest to the right.  As you can see on the photo directly above, you still have to go into the other lane to get around these assholes.  They are doing nothing to improve the flow of traffic, but are creating more of a road hazard... every vehicle coming up behind them still has to pass them.  Literally, I have seen cars 4 across on a two lane road like this.

As we got closer...

You can see the dumbass in the black pickup is mostly off the road; the car on the left is mostly in their lane.  If I were to try to get around the black pickup, I would be trading paint with the white van with their lights on.  Nothing good comes from driving on the shoulder, not to mention what that driver has to when there is something on the shoulder or a mailbox that sticks out into the shoulder.

I have even been passed on the right (yes, on the shoulder) on this particular road when I'm doing the speed limit (or maybe slightly above) by an impatient driver behind me.

So much stupid.

When we got to the doctor's office, I checked in with the receptionist, and reminded her that the last time I needed blood drawn, she "forgot" to let anyone know I was there, and I waited for an hour and 20 minutes.  Typically, if you are just having blood drawn, there is no wait, unless the person in front of you is also getting blood drawn... you don't have to go through the usual procedure of waiting for an hour, getting through the door (like getting beyond the velvet rope at the hottest club in town), getting weighed, and visiting with the nurse for 5 minutes, before you wait for another 30 to 45 minutes for the doctor.  Really, this should be in and out.  Here's how busy the waiting room was this morning...

On the bright side, I didn't have to sit in the middle of a bunch of sick people.  But, I still got to wait for about 15 minutes before Miss Mary (the lady who draws blood) ushered me through that special door.  She is good at what she does; had me poked and drew three vials of blood, then wrapped a bandage around my arm (this is new - apparently those industrial strength bandages they were using tore some "old people's" skin.  Mary had me in and out of there in less than 5 minutes for her part.

Then, I was free.  After breakfast (I had to fast for the blood work), we had some errands to run (important stuff like stocking up on Rufus's food), gassed up the Equinox (for over $1.50 per gallon less than we were paying in Phoenix), then out to the storage unit.  The big storage unit (where we keep the motorhome), that has other stuff we've stashed there.  We made a significant dent in that stuff - not much we're keeping, so donating and trash.  We keep whittling away at it.

One of the cases had old band stuff in it: photos, contracts, my Musicians Union card... one day soon, I will copy the photos I want to keep, then toss 'em.  More work for another day.  "Oh look - the motorcycle helmet that is '4 helmets old'... it has furry stuff growing in it.  Yeah, I think I will be safe in tossing that."  The helmet that is '3 helmets old' is still in like-new condition; that one will go to the thrift shop.  "Oh, look again - the National Award I received in 1989.  The actual plaque.  With disintegrating foam stuck to it from the padded case it was in.  That one is kind of special to me: it is for 'outstanding contributions to the photographic industry'.  It is voted on by the past living National Award recipients and has to be unanimous... if one person votes no, the award is not given that year.  It was a complete surprise to me that year, and I just happened to have Joan and Steph with me at that convention.  It was presented to me by a photographer/friend (Lee Corrigan) I really admired.  I consider it to be to the state photographic industry, through the Professional Photographers of America, what the Cecil B. DeMille Award is to the Golden Globes.  That was a busy couple of years: I helped organize the Certified Professional Photographer program, was past president of our state professional organization, defended some photographers who were being "double taxed" at the state capital (against lawyers from the state Treasurer's Office), presented seminars at regional and national conventions, and worked with PPA to establish copyright protection for the imaging of its members.  Oh, and operated a studio during all of that.

The plaque is going to take some cleaning up.  I had no idea that the foam it was packed in would turn into the messy goo it did.

The next trip down "Memory Lane" will be going through those boxes and albums of band stuff.  Sometime in the next few days.

 

Dusk...

 

Last night, after taking Ruf for a walk, I set out on my own so I could get some exercise (the pace is slower when walking the big furry boy).  At the end of our street are some trees that have grown to an interesting shape...

 That's looking east, so the sky had the deep blue "dusky" look.  Then, heading back toward home, this flock of pelicans flew by (while I was looking towards the west)...

The iPhone does a pretty decent job with non-typical light.

Good to have captured those images yesterday evening - it is an overcast day in the Tropical Tip.  If you were looking to, oh say, launch a rocket this week, yesterday was ideal weather.  The SpaceX folks are saying the launch could happen Thursday... or maybe Friday.  Those days are forecast to be windier, cloudier, and a chance (small) of rain.  We did see one launch happen on a foggy, overcast day in the past... well, we didn't see much of it, but we did hear it.  They aren't going to push it, weatherwise, when waiting for a better day is an option.

The BIG one...

 

Nothing to do with yesterday's post showing different size iPhones.  A big event is unfolding: SpaceX is planning to launch it's Big Falcon Rocket today.  We've seen previous launches get delayed or postponed... this will be the first launch of this size rocket; even Elon Musk has said, "A 50-50 chance of success."

 Test launches have been pretty dramatic here in the past.  When I say "here," our house is about 5 miles from the SpaceX facility on Boca Chica Beach.  When they do a test firing or launch, you hear and feel the rumble.  And that has been with smaller and fewer rocket engines.  Previous test launches have been with 3 rocket engines... this one will have 27 engines, and they are larger.

There is a "5 mile protection zone" around the facility, coming right up to our island.  The launch is expected to bring thousands of people to the area.  Some sources have predicted hundreds of thousands.  If that comes to pass, it will make the bumper-to-bumper traffic of Spring Break seem trivial.

We'll see how this plays out.

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An hour after making the above post, the countdown is progressing...

We are listening to NASASpaceFlight live on YouTube.  The launch is now tentatively scheduled for within the hour.  You can see steam coming from around the fuel tanks and at the base of the rocket as the tanks are being pressurized and cooled.

There is a common area here in the village with a gazebo (about a half block from our house) - it has become a gathering place for people on the island to watch launches; people are already showing up in anticipation of the launch.  We can't see the launch pad from our house because of the houses across the canal from us; once the rocket is up a couple hundred feet, we can see it over the roofs of those houses.

The Coast Guard has set up a "maritime viewing area" in the water adjacent to the southeast side of our island.  They have been moving boats out of the waters in the Gulf of Mexico south of the jetties.  All of the excursion boats and fishing charters have been advertising for viewing opportunities on their boats... and "no refunds" if the launch is postponed.

Checking out the live cam on the causeway shows that traffic is moving normally... well, when you can get the live feed - must be a lot of people checking that out.

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8 minutes before launch, it has been paused; a pressurization issue.  The countdown continues, but it is now expected that the launch will not happen today.  The live feed is saying it will be "called off at T minus 10 seconds" to allow testing off all the systems to up that point.

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One minute and 30 seconds left on the countdown... and the clock is holding at T minus 40 seconds and it is officially scrubbed for today.

Looks like it will be at least 48 hours to "recycle" everything necessary for a launch.

Weather is absolutely perfect for a launch: 71º, clear sky, very light wind.  A lot of dejected looking people leaving that gazebo area.

A bit of trivia on Starbase Boca Chica (the launch facility here): they employ over 1,800 people, making them the largest employer in the area.  I guess that isn't so trivial.  Musk has plans for even more enterprises in Texas.

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We had an appointment on SPI this morning (doing some "discovery" with a title company to see what needs to be done with selling the house).  The launch getting scrubbed worked in our favor...

That's two solid lanes of traffic coming off the island, and clear lanes for us heading onto the island.  With our business done, a drop off at the thrift shop, and a car wash, we were ready to head back home.  It looked like all the traffic had cleared the causeway.  Looks can be deceiving - before we got to the high part of the causeway, it was bumper-to-bumper.  Fortunately, on the Port Isabel side of the causeway, the local Police had set the stoplights to flashing yellow and kept the traffic moving.  Slow, but moving.  A lot of cars coming off the island.  People travel from all over to see a launch; this may wind up being good for local businesses, since I assume some people will stick around for a couple days to see if the launch is rescheduled for Wednesday.

The big and small of it...

 

Just a heads up that I may miss making a post everyday for a while.  Right now, our days have been filled with packing things in boxes, and making trips to the storage unit, the thrift shop where what we donate goes to support the local animal shelter, and the dumpster.

It was a bit startling today when Joan put a stack of electronic devices on the counter for me to go through... iPods, iPhones, and 4 MacBook Pros (besides the one I am using to make this post).  The house isn't big, but we designed a bunch of cabinets and built-ins into it... meaning we could "put it in the electronics cabinet," and move on to the next one.  Most of them are still functional, just tired batteries or outdated technology.  Still, I had to go through them all and "wipe" the hard drives/storage.  Of course, there were still photos that had been transferred to the newest device that were still on these.

The early iPhones we had were tiny compared to the current versions.  Look how this cute little thing fits in my hand...

 Big and small...

One of the last things in the second closet I had to go through: sportcoats and suits.  It has been years since I felt the need to wear a suit, and we had pared it down to 4 at that point.  Time to cut it down to two.  I have lost weight and inches in the last few years, so sizing played a part.  There was one gorgeous cashmere jacket that felt great when I put it on - one of the last sportcoats I would have bought, so it was like new.  Very nice feeling material, but Joan said, "You look like a kid wearing his Dad's jacket."  A bit big, huh?  In the end, I settled on a black suit and a navy blazer with gray pants.  And by, "I settled on," I mean Joan said, "Those two fit you nice.  Even though you have no place to wear them."  A lot of full-time RVers call it: "A marrying and burying suit."

We have made a significant dent in getting a good portion of our personal items out of the house.  With each car load of stuff we take out, I keep thinking, "That should be about it..." It must be expanding.

No one needs to hear me reminisce... "Oh, this reminds me of the time..."

The shuffle...

 

Big poker game?  No, but thanks for asking.  Going through drawers and cabinets.  Putting stuff in the local storage unit we rented.  Tossing stuff I thought I couldn't live without.  Joan put some of my "memorabilia" in a box and said, "This will probably be the last time you will see this stuff, 'cause you will have no use to unpack it at some later date."  She's probably right.

We are "getting after it," so we will be ready when the time comes.  Speaking frankly, a month ago, I figured I would "die in this house."  Not planning anything in the near term, but I really didn't see us making a move.  Now that we are going through everything in this house, packing and labeling what we want to keep, taking even more stuff for donation (seriously, where do all these cameras keep coming from???), and a couple trips daily to our village compactor (named "Jaws" by the residents), I think this move could be the death of me.  But, the work goes on.  And on.  And on.

We are like a couple Eveready Bunnies.  Well, without the drum... my drums are packed up.  ;-)

Are you OK?

 

Well, I suppose it depends on who you ask... there are plenty of people out there who look in my direction and say, "The boy ain't right."

Yes, we're fine.  I skipped a couple days from posting here... we have been busy.  "Too busy to write about it?"  Yeah.

We have been going through the house.  Keep, donate, toss.  After 20 years in this house, we've accumulated a lot of stuff.  Some of it is stuff we will never need again.  Like cruising charts for some really spectacular waters... the Florida Keys, the Gulf Coast (south Texas to Florida), the Erie Canal (and Trent-Severn Waterway in Canada), Lake Powell, Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands, the Gulf Islands (in Canada), Desolation Sound (also in Canada).  We aren't going back there... well, not by boat.  No telling where we might go with the motorhome.  The charts are long outdated, so they really wouldn't have any value to another cruising boater.  Gone.

 

That cruising guide I have in my hand there was written by friends Mark and Diana Doyle.  Joan and I did some editing on it for them.  SO much information to make the cruising easier and safer for boaters.  But, I digress.

Camera gear - so much camera gear over the years.  Keep out my 360 cameras and I'll use my phone for the rest.  "Oh, look - some coastal photo-art we did over the years!"  Music gear - I may have accumulated more music gear than camera gear, especially the last 15 years or so.  Clothes - how much clothing can two people actually wear?  Last time I wore a suit: when Joan's youngest brother got married.  Computer stuff - do we need to keep the boxes and manuals for the MacBook Pro we got rid of 10 years ago?  I think we're safe in letting that go.  How about all the cables for plugging that stuff in?  Bye-bye.

Going through this stuff takes time.  Brings back some great memories.

"Why go through all this stuff now?" you ask.  Thanks for asking.  We're putting the house up for sale.  We haven't picked a realtor, yet; but that will happen soon.  "Way to bury the lead, Jim," you say.  Yep.  Looks like we are going to become desert dwellers.  With the plan to be very close to Steph and Dan.

More as things progress.

The Wave...

 

If you live in this area, you know the local bus system used to be called "the Wave" and it provides free rides around Port Isabel and South Padre Island.  It's now known as "Island Metro" and is connected with bus service to/from Brownsville.  It operates daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The shuttle runs the length on the Island, stopping at beach accesses, hotels, restaurants, attractions, and other points of interest. Island Metro also has another route that crosses the Queen Isabella Causeway into Port Isabel. All of the shuttles are equipped with a bicycle rack, ADA accessible with wheelchair lifts, and offer complimentary WiFi.

But, I'm talking about this wave...

A lot of bikers wave to each other.  I do.  Most wave back.  Some don't.  I'm OK with that.  Any time I'm riding, I feel joyous.  Today on one of the scooter/motorcycle forums where I participate, someone posted this...

Nice.

All we need is a drummer...

 

... for people who only need a beat!

If you said, "Dance to the Music, Sly & the Family Stone, 1967," you get 25 bonus points.  You get an additional 25 bonus points if you can say what the guitar player said in response to that line.  (Insert the theme music to Jeopardy here.)  If you said, "I'm gonna add a little guitar, to make it easy to move your feet," you lived in a great time for music.

We're doing some changing in my music room, and I need to put the drums away for a bit...

 I put them together when I first got this set, and haven't played out or had to move them since.  While these take up less space than an acoustic set of drums, it takes a while to set them up... or, in this case, take them down.

With the drum pads off, it is a skeleton with a bunch of cables...

And when it's all packed, it fits in this box...

Like a puzzle.  And it only weighs about 1,000 pounds.  I'm exaggerating again... it's about 950 pounds.  Probably.  I didn't weigh it.  I was too tired by the time I was done putting everything in its place.

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DMV... not.  I got a notice that I can renew my driver's license online.  I didn't know you could do this in Texas.  No change in address, so it was fast and easy.  I had to check a box that my eyesight hadn't changed since I last got my license... I think that is what it said, the print was kinda small and fuzzy.  Yeah, that's a joke.  Almost as good as the one I told Steph the last time I had to renew my license: she asked if I could still pass the eye test without glasses.  I told her, "I didn't have to - I was 4th in line to take the eye test, so I just memorized what the 3 people in front of me said."  (rimshot)  I crack myself up.

In the groove...

 

Your music?  Well, yeah.  After doing it for this many years, I should have it down.  It will be one week tomorrow that we've been home.  Seems like there has been a lot to do with moving back in and getting things sorted out.  Joan doesn't like to leave any of her stuff in the coach, I don't like to unload stuff that will go back in there when we head out again... so there is a lot of discussion along the lines of: "Does this stay or go home with us."

It was two trips from the storage unit to the house to get stuff here, but there is always something that gets "displaced" in the shuffle.  We will be heading out to the storage unit again tomorrow, for some more "in and out."

This "groove" is getting back into being house dwellers again and settling into our routine here.  My morning routine is: bicycle ride, music, motorcycle ride.  I have gotten to make some music, as I set up my music room.  This morning was the first time I've gotten out on the e-bike... to be fair, Mother Nature gave us some cool, gray, and rainy days, where I didn't want to get out.  This morning, it was 71º, light breeze, and a thin overcast.  I will have to toughen up the places where the body meets the bicycle seat, since I didn't get out much while we were in Arizona... 5 miles was enough this morning.  We'll see tomorrow how the pressure points did.

It was a true treat to get out on the motorcycle.  It was low enough on gas that the flashing light on the fuel gauge was flashing; first stop: the gas station.  Next stop: to get a Texas State Inspection, since that was due; fast and easy.  The guy I go to takes photos of the license plate and odometer while he's checking the lights and horn; I hand him the insurance papers (which also have the VIN), and he goes to his computer to log it with the state and print me out a copy.

Then, a ride.  I expected mass quantities of people heading off the island since we're wrapping up a holiday weekend - nope, the traffic was like a normal Monday (which is still busier than the other days of the week with outgoing traffic).

Back home, I put the sticker on the license plate and reset clocks on the CTX and the Xmax... I have to get the owner's manual out to remind me how to do that on Joan's bike, since her display is more high-tech than my bike.

Then, some music.  It is fun to have a selection of guitars.  Joan's request: "Play the favorites for Rufus and me."  Yes, Rufus has his favorite songs, too... they are the ones with his name in them.

I am beginning to feel almost normal again.  (Insert your favorite "You?  Normal?" joke here)

Well Groomed...

 

No, not me.  The other guy in the family...

 Seems like we have been going 100mph around the house since we've been home.  This morning, Joan said, "We need some chill time this morning.  Rufus needs to get brushed, I'll make a skillet breakfast, and you play us some music."

It is important to have a plan.

The photo above is one very content kitty - Rufus likes getting brushed; he leans into it.  He's a good boy.  ;-)

And the music was nice... I played "Joan's guitar" - the Taylor T5.  It was a guitar that was too good to pass, but I had just bought another nice Taylor acoustic... I said, "I can't justify this right now."

Joan said, "I'm buying it - it will be my guitar... but you can play it any time you want."  (No, she does not play guitar.)  She has been instrumental (pun intended) in most of my guitar purchases.  It's easy to skip over the T5 because it isn't an acoustic guitar - it's a semi-hollow body electric with electric and acoustic pickups... I'd call it a hybrid.  It can sound rather acoustic, or rock out with electric tones...