This time tomorrow I'll be in the belly of the beast. NYC. just doing my last minute docs, boarding passes and such. Now I'm getting a little excited. We have to leave here in the glorious early morning hours between 02:45 and 03:00 AM for 06:00 AM flight. Fortunately we are TSA Pre-check so that will help speed it along. I kinda hate big out of town trips because of all the luggage we have to take for a week but I try not to over pack. Try being the key word. Always seem to bring just a little more than I needed. Alright gurus. Press on with whatever unfolds for you today.

Luv ya and adios for now.

GMCG's

Very productive day today even with interruptions. Pretty much running on schedule for departure. Out to cut the grass and I'll be good.

Sign me in on the busy days club. another 13 hour day. Two small panels to put up on the bathroom/shed and a couple of weathered fence boards and the outside will be close to finished. Inside the toilet, sink and half the shower was installed. I built a partition wall first thing this morning that was one of the shower walls. pics later when I get back from vacation. Sue's mom was transferred to a rehab facility. She didn't have any doctors orders and she takes insulin for diabetes. Sue is all over them like stink on stuff. 1st day and she called for a supervisor. Busy, busy, busy. I went and visited late yesterday afternoon. Dis an errand run today and picked up a lot of items on my list. Tomorrow maybe finish the shower, finish the boards. Then I have to cut the grass and straighten out the house before we leave. Sonny-boy is coming in to pet sit as usual.


See ya!

Letty, you have a girlfriend? ...... Never mind .......

The pump is running and so far not kicking the new breaker. retesting now. Sonny-boys birthday today. Pressing hard to make the cruise deadline and get everything I need to get done done.

A dark cloud continues to loom, wreaking havoc and causing mechanical failures all around me. Of course all this the week before vacation. Could be worse I guess. Could happen the week of our vacation when we're away and can do little about it. I've been pulling 10 to 12 hour days for the past week and a half. Replaced the irrigation pump yesterday. It runs but trips the breaker after awhile. Some lady driving by the nursery just freaked out because of a spider in her car and mowed down our trash containers that were out for for scheduled pick up. What got trashed was her car. She had kids or a kid on board. Sue's there . She'll help the lady out. How long before the woman's story changes to the trash cans jumped out in front of her? ;) Got to get some essential stuff done. .... Later.

Hello

Mickey, my mom's cat has joined her in the hereafter. Ruptured bladder. The expense to save him did not make sense for a 14 y/o cat. We 're taking about 6k just to stabilize him then add a three member surgical team to do corrective surgery after that. Another member of our entourage have joined the Great Spirit. Sue's mom is resting in the hospital. Sue said she doesn't think she could take one more death right now.

I got the well pump removed. Wait till the irrigation shop opens tomorrow morning and I'll buy the pump. I'll get to do some plumbing and some light electrical work. Just got most of the grass cut. Still have the back yard to do here at home. Then I get to work some of my carpentry skills. I will be glad to get back to my normal routine. Hell, my normal routine is a full+ time job. I'm not even treading water right now I'm behind big time.

Weather is sunny, hot and dry, but our personal lives are caught up in a shit storm. Sue's mom was not feeling well on the plane on he way home. Difficulty breathing. No medically trained people on board. the pilots dis their best to accelerate the flight and MIL was feeling a little better breathing oxygen. Fire rescue met the plane at the gate and took her off. Checked out all her vitals and said she was stable enough to be taken directly to the hospital in the personal vehicle. The ambulance would have taken her to a different hospital then where her doctors and records are. Turns out she's been having mini strokes throughout the week. She's in the hospital undergoing a battery of tests. Sue went into work this morning and one of my mothers cats were lethargic. Sue ran him to the vet but our vet said he needs in house treatment and tests over a couple of days. His liver and kidney counts are all out of whack. I went out and fed the fish and went to turn on the pump that irrigates the yard and adds water to the fish pond. Not working. Kicking the breaker. Spent the dat with our security camera guy replacing defective cameras and fine tuning the system Got home from that at 03:30. Now I have grass to mow. Tomorrow I have to work on the shed. Electricians coming in Monday. The water heater they're supposed to wire has not showed up at the plumbing supply and was ordered over a week ago. But wait ........ There'e more .. Ah, that's enough sharing for one session ..... Later .....

Sue called her journey to Ohio a trip from hell. Someone rifled through her luggage looking for valuables in the hotel room. She logged a complaint with security at the hotel. They said they's look into it. She's on her way back now. Should have landed already. Waiting for a call to pick her up at her mom and dads house. Been a busy week. I work harder when she's gone than when she's here. Of course it means I have to do everything around the house. I did minimal at the nursery. Can't really do both effectively.

Painter finished the container today. Why look at a plain old shipping container when you can enhance your environment with a piece of art.

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Any diagnostic tool that will save time is worth its weight in gold.

Working out back on the walls cutting out the holes for the plumbing fixtures. Little margin for error. I got the sink and toilet piece cut and placed. Next the shower wall only two holes for that. The last one had 6. Got it right. Did the hard one first and I'm glad I did. Got hit with a case of dragging ass. Having some coffee as I write.

Thanks for the heads up on biofreeze. I have been using Bengay fading scent. I tried IcyHot and doesn't come close to the relief I get from BenGay. Hot shower, ibuprofen, Bengay on my back and knees, then spray my exposed parts with Coppertone 30. The more I move the looser I get till it starts going the other way. Then the later it gets the tighter I get. An evening hot shower and another round of ibuprofen and some time in the recliner usually does the trick. If I can drink N/A beer I guess I can do cannabinoids without THC.

I believe the connection between the nervous system and other functions and nerves throughout the body. I have had remarkable recoveries from acupuncture treatments but I fail to continue treatments beyond initial stages. I had years of chiropractic treatment from a reputable chiropractor but in the end I felt I was not making any significant gains. I still had back pain. I always found opioids helpful but all they do is mask the injury. Thinking of trying Mary Jane therapy but it usually makes me sleepy and socially removed. I understand though that there are hundreds of strains. Maybe I need to sample some and see if I can find one that works for me. Maybe one that if you say something like "Hello" I 'll fall on the floor laughing. Medical marijuana is legal in Florida.

This age related body degeneration shit is for the birds. I've been battling spinal osteoarthritis and knee issues since my 20's. Makes it easier to bear since I've had arthritis related pain most of my adult life. I wonder if you might benefit from any nutritional supplements, Letty. Maybe some delicious fish oils or cartilage support stuff. I don't take them but they might help you. Working on the stuff I've been working on. Later.

Plumber and painter are working out back. Electrician's estimator is supposed to stop by. He was due around 11:00. He's over an hour and a half late. Another electrician was supposed to stop by last night at around 05:30. He was a no show. Bored? Not me. Always something happening.

Good afternoon.

Sue's trip to Ohio so far has been a cluster pluck. One of the decedent's sons promised a number of rooms for family then backed out at the last minute. Sue's uncle (90) was sleeping in a chair. His mattress was all covered in piss and blood stains. Sue went out and bought him a new mattress. She took out the old, brought in the new and asked one of the decedents daughters from an earlier marriage that lives upstairs in her uncles house for a set of sheets. The woman flipped her lid. Threw a wooden gate down the stairs and it hit Sue. She was yelling and screaming and cursing at Sue's uncle and started poking him in the chest with her finger. Sue intervened and told her. "You're not going to touch my uncle like that." Sue called the cops and they stopped by to sort everything out.Blah, blah blah, if we have to come back someone is in deep trouble. One of Sue's male cousins was with her. Sue said he was acting weird. Sitting in his car turning his headlights on, turning his headlights off. Asking Sue the same questions multiple times. Threatened to leave Sue at the uncles house. Sue's rental car was back at that cousins house. Just overall weirdness and craziness. I told Sue if she has to just come on back home on an earlier flight. Makes me glad that crew lives in Ohio. Family stuff never ceases to amaze me. Makes me glad Sue and I live for the most part away from the fray of both my and her family. Not to forget sonny-boy. Just thought you guys would find this entertaining. In some ways I'm sure you can relate.

Quick note. All the people moving here destroyed paradise. My little city of 25,000 now over 70,000. Biscayne Bay which most of it is in Biscayne National Park, is dying. Grass beds and species disappearing. Everglades are always under pressure. The Florida Bay needs it's fresh water flow from the north to keep healthy. The coral reefs from Ft Lauderdale south past key West have been dying a slow and painful death for decades now. The Key West of yesteryear is no more as well as growing populations in the Florida Keys. We would move but there is no place we really want to go.

Just got back from the airport. Left at 05:30. An hour up and 50 minutes back. Did I ever mention how much I hate to drive up the the big city? Sue's heading to Ohio for the week to attend her aunt's funeral so I'm home caring for the critters and backing up for the nursery as needed. I have the painter finishing up the container, electrician coming tonight after work to look at the job, plumber coming tomorrow to start the plumbing. My neighbor wants my help this morning setting an engine in his VW bug. Plenty to do. Never bored. Less than two weeks till we cruise out of NYC to Nova Scotia, Portland, Maine and Boston. First time I ever went to Boston by ship. Meeting family for coffee and dessert in the North End then lunch a little later in Boston at the wharf. Hoping to see some nice colors with the changing of the leaves. Something we don't have in South Florida. Love the crisp, cool air and walks in the woods when I was younger. Alrighty then. Let the second part of my day begin. Remember, if you don't do it it won't get done. ;)

Hello!

Do you guru?

I do.

Half a wall to finish inside and out which includes a large half circle bay window to install. A very heavy antique window that Sue wanted included. Of course this ended up complicating a number of other things around it but who doesn't like a good challenge. It will probably take 4 people to set it. 3 to lift it into position and one on the inside to make sure it doesn't fall inside while setting. I could always rig a dead man to keep the window from tipping in but I have to give Sue something top do.


And the beat goes on .........

Oh ya, 2 of the three walls on the storage container have been painted. Wait till you see the paint job.

I fixt the date GRIS.

More stuff to do than I have time for. Need to play catch up today and tomorrow. Plumber is supposed to start next week and Sue wants the antique window installed before he comes. The window frame is 10" wide so I have some creative applications to apply. I'm going to set it on a 6' 2 x 10 mounted across a sturdy, thick aluminum L beam. I had a piece of aluminum just lying around. One of those pieces I had lying around just in case I needed it one day. The day has come. We have the sink, shower, toilet, water pump and pressure tank sitting ready out back. I have to remember to tell the plumber to add a hose spigot.

Good morning.

One of Sue's aunts died a few days ago so Sue is heading up to Ohio for the funeral next week. Her aunt was battling a number of ailments. Interestingly the aunt had conversations on the phone with Sue's mom about what her husband might leave to her after his passing. Her husband is 90 (Sue's mom's brother) and has children from another marriage. She was considerably younger than him. Guess it's best not to worry too much about stuff you can't control until it happens. Sue and I primarily have most items in joint names so should something happen to either of us the transition should be smooth with little having to go to probate. At least the survivor will be able to function financially while after death items are sorted out. Never something you like to think about but none the less, one must think about it. Which reminds me, I have an addendum to the will I have to take care of.


Finished framing the door and worked on that exterior wall yesterday. A couple of corner wall pieces to put in then I'll finish up on the last window wall. I have a large window to frame and 10 ft of sheathing to put up then finish up two of the interior walls. I'm pre-cutting the floor deck and the wall where the utilities will run through to make life easier for the plumber and electrician (and me). My idea for that space was basic and simple. Total would have come in between $5000 to $6000 which would have included a composting toilet, sink, ceiling fan/light, a light fixture for the storage room and a wall outlet. Then Sue put in her two cents worth. Actually her 7000 dollars and cents worth. Which added a septic tank, drain field, 1/2 hp pump, pressure tank, electric on demand water heater, toilet, shower stall plus run all the plumbing and electric needed to support those items.
Same thing happened when I went to build a storage area work shop. It went from my idea to her proposed office bedroom idea. At least I got some storage space built into this new bathroom. It will take some of the pressure off the floor space in my tool shed.

There's a couple of days worth banter there ....... Later guys. I have stuff to do.

Hi .....


Bye ......


;)

Quote:

John, aren't you a travel agent in addition to your other careers?

Forgot. There all in hurricane alley.

Letty, how about an all inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Aruba or fly to St Thomas, St John or Puerto Rico. Nice beaches. Onlinevacationcenter.com or vacationsotogo.com can take a lot of planning out of planning. You don't need passports for American terriotries.

Matt makes me laugh. Summer is officially over. Except in the land of a summer that goes on and on and on. Can hardly wait for last November. I MIA yesterday. Too busy or too tired to goof around on the computer. Container painting project continues. Had a plumber in to evaluate what we want to do in the back bathroom by the office/shed. Had a front gutter put up yesterday. Hooked up battery chargers to the boat , 91 Vert and the 928 to top everything off. Went shopping for a toilet and shower stall and fixtures. Put up some plywood on the walls and cut in a sheet for the floor. Fed the critters , went out to dinner at the local Thai restaurant, came home and dropped. Going to HD to get the door, locks, 2 x 4's and some hardware and then start framing in the door. Press on gurus. Time waits for no one, nor does the chore list.

Re: Gris' picture.

Working on the back bathroom for a few hours today. Sue wants us to go fix a shelf up in her dads garage that is right next to his Corvette. Not sure why he bought it. He's only put about 5k miles on it since he's owned it. Basically it's a brand new 2014. I'm no one to talk. My cars get very few miles since I retired over 10 years ago.The fuel pumps just went on the 928. Probably got jammed up with gunk from not using it. My 90 Corvette needs a water pump. The boat needs to be gone through all over again from sitting 7 months. I probably need to sell all my toys and just buy a 2020 Corvette.

Howdy!

Oh, Marcus, did the allocasia ever come back?

Marcus what is a good chemical weed and grass killer to be used around fruit trees. Not Round-Up or it's chemical copy cats. I tried the 30 percent vinegar, orange oil and soap mix with little to no effect in the shady areas. There are just some grasses and weeds that are unaffected by Round-Up. Whatcha think?

Out to cut the grass and toil in the jungle today. Past couple of days have been outdoors in the yard. One day overseeing a tank and drain field installation out back and doing a few related yard jobs. Painter started painting the shipping container out back with a custom Florida Everglades scene. pics upon completion. It's about half done now. Got two big dump truck loads of rock yesterday. 57 rock for out back for leveling and a load of pea rock to redo the driveway and parking area. Aluminum gutter crew comes in Mon or Tue to put a new gutter out front. Getting a pump, pressure tank and plumbing done for the new bathroom and electric will have to be run to from the building next door. Fun in the sun (and the rain). A rolling stone gathers no moss. There is no moss growing on me.

Busy these past two days . I'll have to write a more detailed catch up post later this weekend, maybe. I have to catch up on my catch up work because what we did was not on my planned schedule. ;)

Marcus .... that's what all the classic Chebby owners are hoping for. Better gas mileage. Maybe you'll be able to jump from 6 mpg to 8 mpg.

Politically speaking I think where we are today was decades in the making. All I can do is vote my conscience which is nowhere near NATIONAL SOCIALIST DEMOCRATIC platform. I'm anti abortion, pro right to bear arms. I would not go so far as to say I was a Republican but I would go so far to say I am definitely not a Democrat. I believe in less government, a balanced budget and funding for a secure America. Reform public programs across the board. At this time I would like to announce my intention to run for the office of the President of the United States. After thinking about this .... the job doesn't pay enough so I rescind my previous intention.

Plowing along with an abundance of chores. Weather has been decent outside of the oppressive heat. Sweat glands have been getting a good workout.

I don't have to remind you what day it is. Solemn thoughts for all those that needlessly lost their lives in the Twin Towers tragedy and the responders that lost their lives or contracted illnesses due to exposure to hazardous materials.

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Here are some long ago promised pics of the bathroom I'm building using part of an existing animal pen. It's an add on to the office I built several years ago.

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Brutal summer heat cycle continues and will for at least another 2 months. When we cruise next month I'm sure the temps will be significantly lower. Though I complain about the heat, the heat is my friend. When the cold winds of the north chill my bones to the marrow, the stiffness that accompanies it will have me rejoicing upon my return. A Chinese chiropractor told me years ago "A/C and cold not good for you. Better you be warm, like outside. I do spend a good amount of time outdoors. That has my dermatologist telling me "Stay indoors between the hours of 10 and 2. Advice I rarely heed. Cover up. Advice I rarely heed as the bullets of sweat drip from my brow. I do try to seek shade when possible. Well, the longer I sit here the less I get done. Later gurus.

Resprayed the weeds today about a week after trying a 30 percent commercial vinegar, cold press orange peel oil and soap mix. It is effective in many uses and considered organic but didn't do much in certain shady areas of my yard. I had to break out the chemicals said to be responsible for some cases of non Hodgkins Lymphoma. Even those aren't guaranteed to kill the weeds and grasses I want dead. If I want the place to look good and be low maintenance this winter I have to attack the weed issue now. Later I cut down a tree then helped Sue with an after hours loading of a couple of plants. After dinner I rewarded myself with a delicious hot fudge sundae topped with whipped cream and cherries. I suspect my cardiologist might think that to be a poor choice. Well it did have cherries on it.

It's a beautiful day. What will I do with it? We shall see.

Quote:



Great for finding ...... The weakest link .......

GMCG's

Sue's birthday today. Going for a dinner gathering as that has become the routine now for family birthdays and inviting friends to join us. We are going to a Thai restaurant which has a great buffet twice a month on the first and third Saturday. Everybody is spoiled now. No prep, no cooking, no clean up. The only issue is getting the seating for about 20 people but it will all work out. It always does.

2020 Corvette ..... 2020 Corvette ..... 2020 Corvette

My heart goes out to you and your family, Bill.


Just doing stuff. Electrical switch in the bathroom. Check out the box truck staring issue. Some quick shopping and maybe get to work out back on the bathroom a bit later. Full day everyday (but sometimes I cheat).

Cruise comes up 4 weeks from Sunday, not that I'm counting or anything.

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The random F bomb dropped around here is usually a pretty good indicator of something not going as planned. Nothing ever seem to be straight forward and easy. And when it is all you can say is "I can't believe it.".