Tuesday, March 29, 2016

A walk in the breeze


First time I've walked for my entire lunch hour since maybe sometime last fall. Deering Oaks Park may have looked kind of like this photo I took today as part of may university circuit walk. The wind was gusting, had to wear an ear band over my hat to keep it from flying off. It was a little chilly but it felt real good.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Easter comes early

It always throws me off when Easter falls in March especially with almost a week left before April arrives. Actually it came at a good time as the past week had it's difficulties. Another intensely challenging week at the office compounded by the demise of the household boiler Monday morning. This lead to no hot water for cleaning up before work and later arranging for a repair tech to visit in the afternoon and leaving work early to meet with him followed by one of the owners arriving as coroner to confirm it's death by natural causes - brain dead, motherboard blown, expensive to replace and too many failing parts that are difficult or impossible to replace. Sounds like where I'm heading. Went over the options, chose the more expensive one, scheduled the installation for two days hence, two days work, finishing Friday. Well that was to be a cold week so I found a portable heater to rent that would provide some heat without introducing gas fumes into the house and I had to rigg up a baffle/flange to hold a 12 inch diameter duct in place on a window. Not the type of thing I could leave out when not in use or run all night so we only used it to heat up the house in the evening then disassembled the setup and stash it in the garage for the night and though the day while we were away at work. Though a bulky looking arrangement it wasn't that difficult to setup and take down but a nuisance all the same. New boiler is a fine piece of equipment, well installed and made to last longer that it's predecessor and possibly it's new owner.


Proper burial was in order.

Injecting some heat. 
Looks like a cannon/meat smoker.
View from inside.
Heat and hot water at last!

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Tentatively spring

Now with St Patrick's Day over and spring as stamped on my calendar is here I'm looking at the yard with a hard eye toward cleaning perhaps beginning next weekend in addition to preparing for Easter dinner guest. The mereish bit of snow clings within the shade of scrub trees along a property line. This may be joined by a small amount if the storm running up the coast follows the dreaded European Model forecast. At this late stage of the season I'd like to be done with it after having been prepared well ahead of snow season and then having a light go of it. No complaining about that part.

Other than having a crazy work week the high point was St. Patrick's Day supper. Carol cooked up a corned beef all day in a crockpot then did up a dish of potatoes, turnips, cabbage, onions and carrots. I added the glass of Guinness to complete the meal.


Another trip to my mother's yesterday to followup on the basement sorting and cleanout in preparation for a possible move to an apartment. This time Carol came along and we took it as far as we could. We brought home all the loose photos and albums to sort through. Most photos will probably be discarded, tons of duplicates and irrelevant shots, newspaper clippings, etc. We spent about and hour and a half once we got home getting the sort started. Plenty to do there.

As much as I like my job I'm not looking forward to returning to it this week. The last couple of weeks I have as much as I can handle. By the end of each day I get as much new or continuing project work as I gotten done pushing some that I hadn't yet worked commitments to the brink. Today there was targeted advert on my FB stream for printed T shirts with the phrase "Graphic Designer", because freakin' miracle worker is not an official job title".

Sunday, March 13, 2016

What spring brings

Middle of March, switched to Daylight Saving Time and no snow except in spots where the sun doesn't shine and I don't mean your backside. It's like mid April and has been for over a week. I almost don't know what to do with it though I have done a bit of this and that in spite of drinking a liter of Shiraz Cabernet into the wee hours this morning and getting short sleep. I also managed to run an errand to Walmart with Carol stopping for lunch along the way. An equally nice day yesterday as I visited my mother to get started on cleaning out her basement in preparation for moving into an apartment later this year. Spent some time getting a feel for what is down there, nothing extraordinary, vases, knick knacks, jewelry, cloths, clocks, foot warmer, variety of containers and photo frames galore.

A small sample
Speaking of photos there is where the real treasures are. Loose and in albums thousands of pictures. A lot from the early 1900s to some in the not too distant past. Throw in newspaper clippings. a scrapbook put together by one of my great grandmothers and including various documents there is plethora of family history to be had. I even came across the receipt from the hospital for my birth, $82.85. Looks like a bargain to me.

Thursday, March 03, 2016

Breathing the political winds

Yesterday it was Bernie Sanders, today Donald Trump doing campaign stops in Portland prior to this weekends Maine State Caucuses. Both events took place while I was at the office a couple of blocks away. A lot of hype and traffic blocked streets in a short amount of time around these parts. Ted Cruz visits the University of Maine in Orono tomorrow and Hillary sends Olympic metal winner Michelle Quan to hang out at a couple of her campaign offices. I'm fully inspired to join a political party this weekend and caucus like it's 1999 - I'm pretty sure the feeling will pass.

Wednesday, March 02, 2016

Stumbling into March

Consistent as the weather which has been wicked cold for a day or two then a quick moving blast of snow followed by torrid rain - repeat several times and you get the idea in the last 3 weeks of the definition of climate change. Add to the mix that I came down with a cold about a week ago, the worst of it over the weekend, now I may be near thorough with it.
If that isn't enough age is catching up fast with the household terrier E'owyn. for a while now she barely able to get up off the floor and her occasional "accidents" have become more of a daily occurrence, both types. She'll be 13 this May with is up there for a standard Airedale though her lineage may be more of American bred hunting Airedale as she has weighted in at 65 lbs, 20 more the AKC Standard, no fat. She still eating, likes a bit of attention between lay downs and maintains that hearty bark. We'll see how 2016 treats her.