Laughing Wolf
Monday, January 19, 2009
A Workout Day
Well, the day has seen a good workout. I had to break out some cinderblocks from where they had frozen in the yard and get them back up on the parking lot wall (don’t ask). I then went to the gym and did almost two hours of exercise: one hour plus a bit on the elliptical trainer, and then a mix of upper and lower body with emphasis on the upper as I now can start moving back into such. Give me another week and I can get back to what I consider to be full workouts.
I then went to the local megastore and got some more containers of eco-friendly ice melt. Damn anthropogenic global warming is dumping more ice and snow on me this winter than any time since I moved up here. Of course, didn’t get a buggy, so here I am juggling three containers and a small bag out to the far end of the parking lot (did I mention the students were back? Those that weren’t at the gym were at the store..).
Then, home to put up yet more fence posts and run orange caution tape. I ran some along the back edge of the parking area yesterday as it is a two-foot or more drop and no real edge (esp. in winter when ice and snow build up), but have expanded it a bit to outline the parking area and the side of the road opposite the parking area. A little birdie has hinted that if we get a good snow, which is about the only thing we haven’t had so far, that the county might actually plow my little road as the other neighbor on it is disabled. In the past, I’ve hand dug us out, used the car to plow out the road (yea all wheel drive and low bumper!), and we’ve had some people donate some serious plowing because of the neighbor. Since the county may do it, I put the tape up on the side with rock/low-rock-wall that is hard to see even without the snow. Hopefully, it will keep anyone from hitting same and doing damage to their car/truck/plow. The parking lot tape should keep me or anyone else from finding the edges of the parking area the hard way too.
Hopefully not needed, but… Meantime, trying to pound metal stakes into frozen ground with a sledge hammer was additional upper body workout. Throw in a good game of whirl-a-dog and rocket dog with Jenny (who was ready for some play), and I am tired. Think I am going to go do some quick cleaning, install locks on the new circuit breakers, and cook up my version of Scottish meat loaf and make a lamb stew. Everything else I was going to do today can wait. I’m tired.
LW
My Fuzzy Chaperone
Having my lady friend in my life has done many good things for me. It’s also brought out a side of Jenny I’ve never seen before.
A comfortable evening for the two of us is to sit on the sofa and watch a movie or some television. As far as Jenny is concerned, when she and I do this it is great because she has two people and up to four hands available for skritching and the like. She will come up to us, lean, or otherwise indicate her desire for attention and nine times out of ten will get it. We’ve even gotten her to join us on the sofa, once and briefly.
The change comes, however, when my lady friend leans into me. Jenny is almost immediately there, concerned, demanding, and I swear she is saying: “Alright, space! I want to see some space there!!” When it doesn’t work, she moves off and sighs deeply, clearly unhappy with us recalcitrant humans. She was watching us, looking, trying to see if that would work, but it doesn’t. So, she eventually just curls up and goes to sleep, sometimes very pointedly looking away.
My dog the chaperone. Who knew?
LW
Wine Review: Fetish Wines 2006 Playmates
All right, I admit it: I picked it up initially because of the bottle. A striking, tastefully done silhouette in black and white—a painted bottle—does tend to attract my eye. What got me to pay more attention was reading that it was a blend of a type that done right is quite good: Shiraz, Matato, and Grenache. In this case, 86 percent Shiraz, 12 percent Mataro, and 2 percent Grenache. It was a bit more than I normally pay for my weekly wine, but I decided to splurge and I’m glad I did.
Even three days later, the wine is still strong and vibrant. The initial taste was smokey, with strong tobacco and leather. Behind that came rich red fruit with plum and berries mixing with spice notes of anise, pepper, and more. The finish is good and retains the strength of the initial taste without bitterness.
This is a wine that makes for good sipping on its own, and would pair well with meats and spicy meals. It would even go well with good cheeses, including blues.
2006 Playmates
Fetish Wines
Barossa Valley
Australia
LW
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Busy and Productive, But Fun
Thanks to my time at Wolf Park, and especially through my friendship with A, I’ve met some interesting people. One of those is a master electrician (and very good carpenter too) who helped with the new ramps that lead into the Park. Thanks to him, those ramps meet about any code out there, and I seriously think I could drive my car up them with no problem. That said, he has also been helping me redesign the wiring for the lair—one of the last major projects on my rapid to-do list.
We didn’t get into that yesterday, or at least not much, but “B” came over and helped me (with my lady friend assisting us both) wire a portable generator into my main panel. Yes, I’ve bought an emergency generator, a Troy Built (which is a Briggs & Stratton system) that provides a steady 6,250 KwH and surge up to 9,250 KwH at 30 amps. Getting the power from the generator to the house means either running extension cords out to it to run a few appliances at a time; or, it means establishing a link to your main circuit panel.
The right way to do that is to install a special receptacle/power box on the outside of your home, running a line from that to a secondary power box, and then into your main board. Now, I’ve rewired lamps, redone cords, and even rewired outlets, but I’ve never done a project like this. So, the first thing I did when getting the generator and supplies was call “B” and run my plans by him. I then got him to come over and coach me through it.
The first thing we did was measure, plan, and measure again. Measure twice (or more) and cut once also applies to electrical operations. The first measurement was for the placement of the external box. Suitable place found, we drilled (and I had fun drilling through some sheet metal that didn’t/doesn’t show up anywhere but sure as heck is there under the siding) and ran our wire out to the box, installed strain relief, caulked and prepped, and then mounted the box to the side of the house. We then verified the wiring of the receptacle portion (for comparison to the 30-am extension cord I had already made and to the generator itself), wired the box, and happily moved inside out of the cold.
Next up was the isolation box. This box provides a cut-out between the outside and the main panel. This protects not only the house and the main panel, but can also provide protection to the power company. More on that in a minute. A piece of scrap mahogany I had was the perfect size, so it was drilled and those holes used to establish where I needed to drill into the mortar of the cinder block basement wall to mount said board. Holes drilled and mortar inserts in place, the mahogany was screwed in place and the isolation box attached to the mahogany. Exterior wire was mounted in, wiring to the main board was hooked into the circuit breaker (double pole for those who are curious), and then we tested the system.
The reason for the precautions is two fold. First, you want to isolate yourself from any unwanted power or other that could potentially come in from the external outlet/box. Second, and one of extreme importance in an emergency, is that you don’t want to be sending power back down the line. Such power not only means less for you, it also means potential death for the nice people trying to restore your power. You can get special boxes that have an interlock so that no power can go into your system if anything is coming in from external; in fact, they are required in some locations. In my case, I went for a double-flip system. In order to bring in generator power, I have to throw two separate double pole circuit breakers which should keep me from bringing in power until I’ve switched off the main. Not as foolproof as the interlocks, but it works. Especially with all the warnings and instructions that are going on the various boxes.
We took the generator outside, hooked up the 30-amp extension cord (that I had indeed done right and well), cut off all breakers except one light circuit, cut off the main, cut on the two separate generator switches, and then cut on the generator (previously tested to be sure it would run). Light came on. There was joy in the land. The generator went off, and switches were reversed so that external power was restored. We then celebrated with homemade no-bean chili, hot tea, and a nice time.
One major project down, several to go. Now to rewire the lair, bring it up to and past code as possible, and then install the battery and solar trickle charger system…
LW
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Food For Thought: What Makes Someone Smart
We all make mistakes.
Smart people learn from them.
The truly stupid, don’t.
Just a quick thought to share this Saturday
LW
Wine Review: Ramos Pinto Collector Porto Reserva
I am not a big fan of port blends. To my taste, many of the low-cost blends out there just aren’t good from base to some very odd overtones. My own modest EuroCave was purchased because of my distaste for the blends, and liking for the vintage ports. Not being an SRF or colander-sporting oenophile, I couldn’t/can’t afford the aged vintage ports at their peak. So, I started buying new vintage ports and setting them aside to age for 20 or so years. While a closet works, humidity and temperature regulation do make for a better “time” as it were, so I bought mine and hope to have some left at the appointed time—some are maturing quite nicely as sampling (one must sample along!) shows.
A recent discovery at a local wine merchant has, however, forced me to revise my opinion of the blends a bit. Not wanting to hit a good bottle and seeking something decent, I saw a bottle of Ramos Pinto Collector Porto Reserva and decided to give it a try.
The flavors are quite good: sweet rich fruit, some nice spice notes, and a good finish. No bitterness, no odd notes, and not cloyingly sweet. It makes for some very nice sipping on a cold winter evening, and will appeal to those who prefer sweet wines/desert wines. To my taste, it makes a nice bridge between the low-cost blends and true vintage ports.
If you like ports, and especially if you are a fan of blended ports, give it a try.
Recommended.
LW
Saturday, January 10, 2009
A Very Good Week
I’m not going to get into a lot of details, but thought I would share a bit of my week in a way that gets back to my original “Food for Thought” Saturday program.
This week has been a reminder of sorts. Early on, there was some very weird stuff, and later, there was stuff that happened that could have seen people injured or killed. Never mind that some of what happened this week could have had a severe negative financial impact.
The upshot is, most of the weird turned good, and there is hope for what is left. No one was hurt or killed. What could have been a financial loss turned into a wash, with the upshot of having someone find out that they owed me a small sum of money. I was contacted by someone about an opportunity, not just in an informative way, but with an invitation. In short, what didn’t start that way turned into a very good week. And, yes, for those of you on Facebook and Twitter, I did buy that lottery ticket.
On the big picture side, I have a lady in my life who is very good for me on many levels—who came in at a point where I did not expect, and in fact had resigned myself to not even looking. I have a job, and now have a safety valve there. I have opportunities on several fronts, from avocation to vocation. Several friends, including one in particular, also saw negative go to good this week.
Everything works out for the best in the end.
Cliche in some ways, but true. I know that. I also know that until that point, life can be a rather intense pain in the end (the one we sit on). It was good to be reminded of it.
Just a little food for thought to start a Saturday…
LW
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Weblog Awards: Please Vote Every 24 Hours!
Okay, the awards time is here, and here are my recommendations.
First, go Vote For Blackfive every 24 hours. Please.
Now the listings as I call them:
Best Individual Blog: Rachel Lucas Vote Here
Best Humor Blog: IMAO Vote Here
Best Comic Strip: Day By Day Vote Here
Best Conservative Blog: Atlas Shrugs Vote Here
Best Political Coverage: American Thinker Vote Here
Best Technology Blog: Gizmodo Vote Here
Best Military Blog: Blackfive Vote Here
Best Law Blog: The Volokh Conspiracy Vote Here
Best Business Blog: Suitably Flip Vote Here
Best LBGT Blog: Gay Patriot Vote Here
Best Food Blog: epicurious Vote Here
Best Culture Blog: SondraK.com mouse over the camo… Vote Here
Best Diarist: Army Wife-Toddler Mom Vote Here
Best Podcast: Pundit Review Radio Vote Here
Best Video Blog: Ask a Ninja Vote Here
Best Canadian Blog: five feet of fury Vote Here
Best European Blog: No Pasaran! Vote Here
Best Asian Blog: Tokyo Mango Vote Here
Best Middle East or Africa Blog: Michael J. Totten Vote Here
Best Australia or New Zealand Blog: Tim Blair Vote Here
Best Latino, Caribbean, or South American Blog: Generation Y NOTE: She blogs from Cuba at great personal risk, and the coverage she gets on blogs is her body armor Vote Here
Best Large Blog: Fausta Vote Here
Best Small Blog: The Glittering Eye Vote Here
Best Up and Coming: McClatchy Watch Vote Here
Best Hidden Gem: Susan Katz Keating Vote Here
Others:
Babalu Blog’s choices are here for your review.
LW
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
How To Make A Nurse Laugh So Hard She Can’t…
As those who follow me on Twitter (laughingwolf) or Facebook know, I had a physical yesterday. Overall, things went well and things look good. I had a mole cut off my back, which doesn’t hurt but is annoying right now such that I wonder if I have already managed to pull one of the five stitches used…
Good news: BP is down from where it was during the stresses of the fall (I credit exercise and my lady friend); exercise program is good, and going to get better courtesy of the trainer that is part of the doctor’s office (the new doc does sports and family medicine); blood values seem good, looking forward to getting a full breakdown; and, in all, things are on track.
The vampire was quite good, and I found out in talking with her that she was/is Army (boyfriend is a Ranger). We talked a bit about CaSHes and other delights, actually made for a good time during the stick, which is a time I hate.
Between that and the worst part of the removal (the application of the local), I was reminded of a tale from my extreme youth that I will tell on myself: How to make a nurse laugh so hard, she can’t draw blood.
I’ve had moles removed several times in my life, most via surgery and once via dry shaving while in a rush. The first time for surgery was when I was quite young, somewhere around five or six I think. I had to go to the hospital, a scary place in my youth because of time spent there, relatives/others who went there (and not all came back), and television (place where people died). I was checked in and, of course, one of the first things that had to be done was lab work. So, in came the vampires, two young (I think) nurses who were probably very nice people but there was that whole needle thing and…
The syringe they used then with the large bore needle (at least it looked large bore to me, I suspect it really wasn’t a quarter inch in diameter as I remember it looking) seemed HUGE, and I became an extremely uncooperative patient. It took a while, think they and my Mom let me tire myself out, but we finally hit a lull where I was informed it would be done, and I seized the opportunity.
“I get a last request, don’t I?”
The nurses (and Mom) confer and agree, that I can have a last request.
*best Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes voice, highest volume*
“HEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!”
/voice
The two nurses started laughing so hard they had to leave the room. One or the other would come back in, look at me, and start laughing again, turn around, and leave. Worked for me. Think Mom was torn between being mortified and laughing. They finally had to get another nurse to come in and draw the blood.
In all seriousness, if you have moles get them checked and have your doctor monitor. We got lucky that first time, and got several that were pre-malignant (was told later that some where rapidly headed towards malignant). This is something that can be prevented or caught early with a simple Mark I eyeball, so use it and make sure your Doc uses theirs. The mole removed yesterday doesn’t look to be bad but was of a type that is iffy and/or can go bad. It’s been monitored for a while, but when he offered to spend five minutes taking it out, I thought it a good idea.
Self exams for breast, testicular, and this type cancer are easy to do. If you have an SO, make such checks part of fun and games. If you catch such things early, they can be prevented or treated. So, go right now and look and squeeze for a good cause.
LW
Friday, January 02, 2009
Cascade Exposures New Home
Jan Bussey and Cascade exposure have new digs. Go on over and check them out, and check out the excellent photography by Jan. Buy some even. 
LW
DJ The Puppy: A Year That Made A Difference
Grab some kleenex, and go read about DJ the Puppy and how life has been for her and her “mom” this last year.
LW
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a safe New Year’s Eve, and that that everyone has a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
Our celebration here was on the quiet side, with Jenny getting quite a lot of attention from my lady friend and me. Nothin says lovin like two humans skritching you at the same time… Rather than a raucous celebration out somewhere, we opted for a quiet meal of snackage (two types of olive tapenade, a cheese and fruit plate featuring a sweet smoked swiss, 4-year-old cheddar, Emmentaler, and Asiago from Fair Oaks Farms, crostini, and some biscuits/crackers) and time together. A pleasant surprise to the dogs (and me) was a lack of fireworks and other loud booms this year. Nice. Never did get to the desserts, come to think of it…
This was one of the best New Year’s in a good while for me, and I hope it was to her taste as well. This time last year I was in Iraq, where we didn’t do a lot of celebrating, opting instead to sleep. The year before, I think I was asleep well before midnight. The year before, I honestly don’t remember. I have good memories of last night, with talk, laughter, and times of good silence spent together.
May 2009 be good to all.
LW
Content copyright C. Blake Powers and the individual authors. Comments become the property of C. Blake Powers and may be altered, edited, deleted, and used by C. Blake Powers or the individual authors without restriction or recompense.
