New Directions

Well, things changed several months ago. Yep, you guess it. On February 21st, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNQRfBAzSzo. The red head and I became wife and husband. Life has been good since http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjjZGyYcH9E.

#include "/home/me/the_good_life.h"

Outdoor Sex

Hah! Got your attention with that headline.

Yep, its true. Even here in the northern range of the Southern Bible Belt. Right outdoors in broad daylight. Sex. Happening now.

Where o where are the morality police?

What is becoming of our neighborhood?

Will our children be scared for life if they see the naughty?

In the best tradition of the paparazzi, caught on camera for you to see, Sex in the Outdoors.

Scroll down ...

Don't know what these critters are, but I'm guessing there will be lots more next year.

Update 07/08/2010 - These guys are Boxelder Bugs. From Wikipedia: Boisea trivittata is an American species of true bug, commonly known as the Box Elder Bug, or Maple Bug. It is found primarily on boxelder trees, as well as maple and ash trees [1] . The adults are about 12½ mm (½ in) long with a dark brown or black coloration, relieved by red wing veins and markings on the abdomen. Nymphs and immature bugs are bright red.

The boxelder bug is sometimes known as a garage beetle; the unscientific name "stink bug," more regularly applied to the family Pentatomidae, is sometimes used to refer to Boisea trivittata.

And now, a word from our sponsor.

#include not_what_you_expected.h

Sigh! Loose the beast.

Well, I do believe the time has come.

"Pour qui?", askth thou.

Maybe this requires an explanation.

For many years, it did not lurk in any of my abodes. We grew used to not having it and managed. The sounds, the aromas, the pollen, the dust were free to circulate throughout the abode. But we grew used to them. Drapes were puled, curtains shut, and sash lowered when the sun rose much above the Eastern horizon.

The oscillating fans were turned on and in the afternoon we stayed inside, 'til the sun was in its downward arc. Only then would the fading light once again stream into our abode.

But further into the season, it became more difficult to stretch out in nightly repose. Hunter brand ceiling fans once again became mainstream and many other brands were born.

Ahhhhhhh! Now the nightly repose was more pleasant, providing clothes were minimal and the twirling blades were spinning on medium or high speed.

Then came the summer of 1999 and the trip to Indianapolis. Upon returning, the abode was more like the oven the witch was planning to use on Hansel. So finally breaking down, I took a trip to the Orange Box and returned with the magical box.

After a bit of "Hummmmm?", I realized, this was not going to be a standard installation. Drafting modifications I labored mightily and it was done. Now it lurked in the window waiting to pounce on all within.

A flick of the switch and it pounced. Filling the abode with the sound of a high speed squirrel cage fan and cool air. Took a while for the oven to cool but at last, a summer's repose was not fraught with tossing, turning, and trying to find a pillow's cools side.

So, back to "Pour qui?"

Yep its time. Weather.com shows the 10 day forecast to be like this:

Today
Jun 20         Mostly Sunny          92°/78°     10 %
Mon    
Jun 21         Partly Cloudy         92°/76°     10 %
Tue
Jun 22         Partly Cloudy         94°/79°     20 %
Wed
Jun 23         Isolated T-Storms     96°/79°     30 %   
Thu
Jun 24         Isolated T-Storms     94°/78°     30 %   
Fri
Jun 25         Isolated T-Storms     92°/78°     30 %   
Sat
Jun 26         Isolated T-Storms     92°/78°     30 %   
Sun
Jun 27         Mostly Sunny          94°/80°     20 %
Mon
Jun 28         Isolated T-Storms     90°/78°     30 %   
Tue
Jun 29         Partly Cloudy         92°/77°     20 %

Yep, you guessed it.

Time to turn the air conditioning unit on.

May Dominion Virginia Power have mercy on our bank accounts.

C     Start in column 7 
      INCLUDE '/home/jdavis/disclaimer.f'
C

The Sand Trap of Telephone Services: Call Waiting

I've always felt that call waiting was like a sand trap. Its a hazard to phone etiquette and traps a person into never ending, "Hold on. I've got another call." hell.

Suppose you were in a store discussing a purchase with a sales person. Suddenly, another person interrupts with a "Can you tell me about this widget? Does it come in black? How much is it?" Your sales person says to you, "Wait while I sell this person a widget."

What would you do? How would you feel?

Me? I'd be pissed and walk out of the store without making a purchase. In all candor, I'd probably not frequent that business again.

That's how I feel about call waiting. If the current call is interrupted because of call waiting and I'm put on hold, then am I second best? Chopped liver?

To me the current conversation is the most important. That other incoming call can wait, use voice mail, or simply call back. I'm not going to interrupt my call with you merely because someone is trying to "bleep in."

#include justCallAgain.h

Another One Bites the Dust

My apologies to Queen.

I've been characterized as one who repairs times way too many times instead of tossing and buying. This is true even though the cost of the item is 15 bucks or less.

Yesterday I tried to salvage a vacuum cleaner that had been my parent's. It was an older Kenmore canister model with a power head. Most likely it was manufactured on or before 1978. Still, it had given me great service over the years since my Mother's death in 1992.

The last several times I used it, the motor was making very loud noises, as if the fan was scraping against a shroud. "Hmmmmmmmmmm?", I said to myself. "It might be an easy fix." Nothing could have been a more false statement.

It only took a few moments to have the patient upside down on the operating table, opened up, and its motor removed. Gently rotating the armature by hand produced the familiar scraping noise. Peering into the shroud opening showed the top disc of the fan resting on the bottom of the shroud.

For those interested, here is a more technical description of the fan's construction.

The fan for this design consists of two parallel disks with curved fins mounted between them. The one disk has a very small hole at its hub for mounting it on the motor shaft while the other has a hole about one and one-half inches in diameter in the center where the air enters it. Typical dimensions are six inches in diameter with one-fourth or three-eighths inch wide fins. It spins at a very high speed, creating stronger suction than its cousin but is more limited in the amount of air-flow it can handle efficiently.

A closer inspection of the fan showed radial cracks in the lower disk (the one mounting the fan assembly to the armature shaft.) These cracks (which I believe were stress cracks) allowed the lower disk to distort, curving upward toward the upper disk. This changed the relative position of the upper disk, displacing it upwards until it was in contact with the underside of the shroud. The disk/shroud contact then caused the noise as the two surfaces rubbed together when the motor was turned on.

This did not look to be an easy fix without a new fan and removing the shroud. So off to the web site for Fears and SlowBuck parts. After entering the model number, I zeroed in on the exploded parts diagram and located the number of the fan assembly. Scrolling down the page there it was, "Part discontinued. No longer available." Sigh! Very Heavy Sigh!

"Hmmmmmmm? Maybe I can remove the shroud and make a new lower disk?"

An inspection of how the shroud was pressed onto a cast housing was not encouraging. Without destroying the shroud, I could not remove it to get to the fan and repair it. There was no way I could make another shroud.

"Curses. Foiled again."

The motor was placed back into the patient and closed up. I left it on the operating table for the night. This morning, without the dignity of ceremony, the vacuum cleaner and its accessories were placed in the 90 gallon green wonder for pickup and burial next week.

Another one from our disposable society will no longer bite the dust.

import fam.davis.stdDisclaimer;

I Must Have Angered the Transportation Gods

I must have really angered the Transportation Gods yesterday.

Normally it takes me about 30 - 35 minutes to travel from home to work. Most of the time is spent wandering through the streets of Norfolk. But once through the mid-town tunnel, its easy sailing.

Not so on Monday. The trip took almost an hour. Let me explain.

I was stopped by the full cycle of every traffic light between home and the Llewellyn Avenue. Then as I turned of Granby Street onto Llewellyn, I noticed the orange cones were out. Oops! The river hath overflowed its banks and Llewellyn was blocked. So I diverted back onto Granby Street and proceeded to 35th Street. Slow traffic and traffic lights hindered my progress once again.

Once on 35th Street, I remembered why I stopped taking this route. Duh, the traffic lights are timed against going from east to west. OK, so I kept going. It faster than yet another detour, or so I thought.

After crossing Colley Ave, I turned left at Killam Ave to cut over to 27th Street. When what to my wondering eyes appeared, but a flag man waving me to stop so an asphalt truck could position itself. Sigh!

Onward then to 27th and my left turn onto Hampton Blvd. Once again stopped for a traffic light. Then the wait got longer as an ambulance keep the light red whilst it approached the 27th and Hampton intersection from the North.

Finally, I'm onto to Hampton Blvd and heading toward the mid-town tunnel entrance. I noticed a lack of traffic Northbound but thought nothing of it. Rounding the turn by Redgate Avenue, there they were, brake lights and stopped traffic. The tunnel has a disabled vehicle in it and both lanes were closed while the tunnel was cleared.

After a bit, traffic started again, but slowly. Loaded tractor trailer rigs do not come up to speed quickly.

Once on the Western Freeway, traffic moved along quickly 'til I turned onto College Drive. Then once again, it was slow going as I had to stop for each traffic light.

At long last, 1 hour after leaving home, I arrived at work.

Surely I must have really pissed off the Gods of Traffic.

#!/usr/bin/perl
require StdDisclaimer;

The Demise of Zeke 3213

A bit of background first. A couple of years ago, I started noticing Palmetto Bugs in the house. Never before had one crossed the threshold. Last year my son killed one during the night. When I entered the kitchen the following morning, a note on the whiteboard read something like, "Zeke splinter cell 234 was eliminated." Since then, these unwanted visitors have been called Zekes. For a while we kept track with each bug named Zeke.... followed by a number.

I went walking in Williamsburg last night. It was a typical hot, steamy coastal Virginia night. My feet were hot, wet and uncomfortable in my shoes, so off the shoes came for the drive home. What a relief that was. Upon arriving home, I gathered my belongings in the car (shoes still off) and proceeded to the front stoop.

There in the dim light I caught a quick sense of movement. Putting down my things, I took a shoe in hand. With a quick downward swing, I smacked the last place movement was noticed. Thrice more the shoe came thundering down. Then I picked up my belongings, opened the door, unencumbered myself, and turned on the porch light.

Peering out the door, what to my wondering eyes appeared, but a smashed and very dead Palmetto Bug. In my mind I shouted, "Yes, the shoe is truly mightier than the Zeke."

Thus endeth the tale of Zeke 3213.

require std_disclaimer.pl;

All Good Things Come to those Who Wait

The weekend was a busy but productive one. At long last I finished the trim in the upstairs. And there was great rejoicing! Yea! There are flaws but I can live with them. Then it was tote all the tools and leftovers downstairs and into the garage. Finally the shop vac and I spent a couple of hours removing the saw dust and other debris. Now to put the tools and leftovers away in the garage.

The bummer was, because I had earlier moved an old chest that lives under the workbench, there was not enough room for the shop to regain its living quarters. The casters on the bottom of the chest were missing their wheels and it would not budge. Oh well, knock them off, afix a board to each end on the bottom and shove mightly. Now the vac has reclaimed its rightful place.

I was also able to re-screen two screens for the storm windows and replace the lights in one of the front trees. Christmas in June! How wonderful. There should be a bit of Christmas in every day.

But it was hot and humid. I drank and drank with almost no out flow. By days end I was tuckered out. But I felt good for getting the trim done. Now for carpet and moving on to the stairwell.

On Sunday I went to the red head's to fix her roof. She had it reshingled a couple of years ago but there was a leak. I think the roofer must have been blind to miss this. The "H" clip between two pieces of plywood was bent up on both ends and poking through the felt and all layers of shingles. I removed the damaged shingles, beat the "H" clip into the proper position and replaced the shingles. A little bit of roof cement in stratigic places and the job was done.

Her neighbor was the beneficary of several length of DWV pipe and fittings for his sewer line to his garage he is building. And a couple of more things out of my garage. Although you wouldn't think anything was removed. Its a blivit.

The day ended with nachos and a movie ( "Grand Torino" ) at my eldest daughter's for Father's Day. Both my son and other daughter were there. Could not have asked for a better end to the weekend.