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February was a short month that came and went without much happening at my house.
Barbara, being an astute follower of politics and an admirer of our dear president, emulated him and immersed herself in "selfies." She said she was tired of her facebook picture and wanted a change. You notice the picture is still not changed. |
| She took timeout from the pursuit of the perfect portrait to trim the fur ball that masquerades as our cat. When the caterwauling was finally over, both parties were unhappy with the other, but both benefited in the long term. |
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She also tried to get a shot of my "good side" (whatever that is...). When I saw the results, I went straight-way to my barber. How a person can have too much hair and too little hair at the same time is a conundrum. |
| In what was a first for me, I had a stopped up toilet--not the downstream plumbing, but the poorly designed porcelain pony itself. It took me about four hours of tinkering and deductive reasoning to come to that conclusion, and then another three hours to affect repairs. In deference to the fact that a lot of you like fudge, that's all I'm going to say about that. |
| The vast majority of my time this month was spent working on the shed. First comes building of the forms to hold the cement, and the headaches associated with finding "level" and setting grade. The comes hauling sand to underlie the floor. Then it's off to the store to purchase the cement premix (I'm on a first name basis with several Home Depot employees). Then after all the puzzle pieces fall in place, and the weather is not inclement, come the actual pouring and finishing of the floor. And when you are finally done with that, you repeat the process ad nauseam... |
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| The last Friday of the month, Nathen showed up at my house unannounced, and helped me pour one more pad. It has been a prolonged process, but I think I might be finally approaching the end... |
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For some time now (several years, actually) I have been thinking that I should visit the remaining siblings of my father, Lorenzo, so when Terra and Ameilia actually set a date, I was pleased. We (Barbara, Terra, Ameilia, and I) traveled to Gilbert and spent several hours with Uncle Orland and Aunt Vida Hatch, Aunt Janell and Uncle Gerry Ferguson. It was an enjoyable visit, with Aunt Vida's delicious soup with homemade bread for lunch and afterwards, we copied numerous photos, stories, etc. Ameilia (with the "gently" coerced help of Symantha) is putting them on the web (link here). |
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After pondering the matter at length (and greatly annoying Barbara with my protracted analyses), I have implemented a dog restraint system. Acting on the supposition that simple is better (or at least easier and cheaper), I procured a hundred foot length of 3/16 inch galvanized wire rope. One end I affixed to a tree... |
| ...and the other to a twelve foot metal pole (courtesy of AJ) with one end buried 18 inches in the ground, and the other stabilized with a guy wire. |
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The dog's 10 foot leash is fastened to the wire via a pulley assembly, such that he is free to move inside an ellipse a hundred feet long and approximately 30 feet wide. I dislike the idea of having a dog penned up but, given my present environs and the temperament of Compton (my captive canine), some form of restraint is mandated. This system seemed like the best alternative. Stay tuned for late breaking news... |
| The only other news here is that I am struggling with my medical insurance. It is a long, complicated, and boring saga so I'll spare you the details. I also broke a tooth, but I won't know the prognosis until I visit the dentist next Wednesday. I hope you and yours are well and prospering. |
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Post Script:
I read the comics almost every day, and occasionally one of them will seem like it pertains to someone I know. Spring is near, and with it comes kite season. Charley Brown and I share a lot when it comes to kites...
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For some reason, Ethen occasionally comes to mind when I read these things...
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And for all you mothers out there...
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