A week ago Monday I got that annoying little tickle around my adenoids and I muttered to myself, “s–t…”
It progressed quickly and soon overtook my body.
The flu–I got the seasonal flu shot early last fall–reminded me how the body goes its own way at times, most of the time, despite our best intentions. Continue reading
I continue working outside and around the house, performing a variety of manual labor.
Yesterday I dethatched, overseeded and fertilized the back lawn which struggles to thrive because of competition for sunshine and ground nutrients from numerous trees. I hope the extra care will effect positive growth.
I repaired a toilet leak that my father noticed in our half bath. Couldn’t find the right gasket to replace the one that wore out, so I replaced the entire fill valve (which didn’t cost much more than a new gasket or would have).
I reshafted a few golf clubs–two Ping hybrids and two custom wedges–in preparation for the upcoming golf season. Previously I reshafted two drivers and two three woods (Ping G5 and Cleveland HiBore XLS). The metals were reshafted with Rapport Ultralites (regular flex, 60 gram, low bend, med-soft tip), a nice shaft for $14. I used the new UST iRod graphite iron shafts for the two custom wedges (r flex, 74 gram, mid bend, med-soft tip, 3.9 torque). I just need to put on the grips for the wedges and hybrids today. Continue reading
I didn’t do much work in the yard last year. Mostly mowed the lawn. Didn’t trim bushes or prune trees. But pruning and trimming were activities I contemplated off and on during the winter because trees were gradually transgressing, going beyond their limits.
They were overhanging onto neighboring roofs, encroaching other trees’ reach, scraping the top of my 5′ 7″ height when I would walk underneath them.
So I took the plunge in order to make the work as easy as possible.
I purchased a telescoping tree pruner with saw and limb cutter. And I went to work and couldn’t stop until I’d fully addressed the sins of my trees! Continue reading
NCAA hoopster junkies:
I’m enjoying the games this year, more than usual. Maybe because I actually tried my hand at predicting outcomes in a formal format.
My outcomes yesterday improved over Thursday’s by three. Only two incorrect picks: Oklahoma State and Marquette lost. Also, one more of my picks, Louisville, won’t reach the sweet sixteen making that total two, for now.
Through most of the evening I thought I might get all sixteen games right.
My standing in relation to overall contestants improved quite a bit: points/250; pct/96.6; rank/160,151; PPR/1560. (leader so far is: pts/310; pct/100; rank/1; PPR/1600)
As for today’s games: Continue reading
For basketball fans of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament:
Best time of the year for basketball viewing! Despite the big money involved and exploitation of student athletes, it’s still pretty pure, really intense competition. It’s great to see smaller schools compete favorably against larger, big money schools.
I haven’t paid real close attention to college hoops nationally this year, focusing more on regional competition. When I decided to enter the ESPN bracket contest 45 minutes prior to the first contest yesterday, I had no clear sense of the various team profiles and strengths/weaknesses. I took ten minutes to fill out the bracket and crossed my fingers knowing that in some way it’s something of a crap shoot as it has been historically. Continue reading
I found a new website some time ago titled JacksonPollock.org that allows users to create their own computer art using a “drip” method reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s. I haven’t spent much time with it, but tonight I dropped some virtual paint in a smashing piece titled “Watch the Bouncing Ball.”
Enjoy! Continue reading
This past Sunday I read in the NY Times “internet” section about a social/dating website called okcupid.com. It was started by four mathematicians who were dissatisfied with all the other social networking/dating websites. They did some number crunching to figure out what really works in successfully finding and starting friendships and relationships and it wasn’t cute, flirty compliment crap which I detest, but stuff that initiates a conversation.
On that note I have my doubts about experiencing any “conversations” on the site–I’m not not much of a texter, IMer, chatterer, etc.–but I really like the openness of the site including all the fun little questions one can answer to refine values, interests, and limits and quirky and bizarre tests to gauge one’s personality, perspectives, and so on. And one doesn’t even have to necessarily contact a person of potential interest; one is notified who has looked at one’s profile. So there are a variety of options for engagement which is unusual for a “free” site like this even though there is a premium (paid) membership which I’m unlikely to pursue. Continue reading
I’d just finished fly fishing at Diamond Fork for three hours during a gorgeous late morning/early afternoon yesterday and decided to turn on my cell phone video camera to record the walk back to my car:
[flowplayer src=fly_fishing_walk.flv, splash=fly_fishing_walk.jpg]
Maybe I should adopt my father’s “gloom and doom” perspective on life after all, after Baldo failed to perform his part of my bathroom ritual this morning.
After brushing my teeth and shaving I did my due diligence by gradually closing the bathroom door without securing it shut so that he could push it open with his head just enough to squeeze through and enter while I sat on the toilet. I enjoy his part of the ritual: his growling, purring, and whining, an insistence that he be petted and groomed by his “human” beguile and distract me even as I attempt to take care of my “business.” (Yes, we are all multitaskers even though I do not bring my mobile phone into the bathroom with me.)
I waited and waited and waited for Baldo to enter while I sat there letting thoughts run through my mind, but he never poked his head through the door. Continue reading
Cats, at least my cats, really like boxes. I don’t know if it’s the scent, a certain pliability when they lie in them, or the fact they can chew them up and spit them out. They’re part toy, part comfort zone when they snuggle up inside.
Whatever it is, I’m careful to keep boxes they might like to sniff and make home. The “Bite” box that once held fly fishing wading boots now is home to both Chica and Baldo. In this rough looking episode, Chica’s well protected from Baldo’s intrusive presence and desire, but eventually she wants out.
[flowplayer src=chica_in_Bite_box.flv, splash=chicas_nose.jpg]