The Secret Santa

Found a bag slipped over the handle of the storm door yesterday. A package was inside, addressed with a standard tag that read, "To: An English Major |  From: Santa." I am completely nonplussed by this. Any of the likely suspects are confirmed to not have been in the area near the time it was left. So I guess --- unless something is revealed upon opening it --- it's a truly anonymous gift. Feels like a book... and with a tag labeled as such, there's little doubt. It is wrapped in green paper with a Santa figure and is heavy on the Scotch tape.

Thing is, I wasn't precisely an English major. I received a minor degree in that concentration, which I suspect most people who have any interaction with me would know. And you'd think Santa would know that.... We'll wait until the morning of the 25th and see what it is then. Thank you, Santa.

"Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing." --- William James

Sarah McLachlan - "Wintersong"

16 December 2009

Christmas shopping is just about wrapping up. Will not be divulging any secrets here. But I generally go for practical presents.

Toning it down a little this year, and I hope that our nuclear family will be making more out of the Christmas Eve movies (tentatively "It's a Wonderful Life" on NBC followed by "The Polar Express" on DVD) and the main event's morning meal (tentatively, Canadian bacon strata with a side of roasted potato medley) than presents. Then again, most people say that every year and each time the day takes on a life of its own. For a while now, I've wanted to institute an annual 'Very Merry Pajama Christmas' whereby everyone gathers to open presents on the morning in question in their PJs --- discretion required. Just doesn't seem to happen. This one is riding her broom, that one wants to do their own thing and meet a few days later, and mother has a history of meltdowns on Christmas Day proper. In the past several years, it's usually a day that has all the fun sucked out of it by people doing their own damn thing and with their own agenda. I accepted that, and made some of my own traditions. This included a Christmas morning walk with Sammy up the hill, around the lake and over to the Revolution-era cemetery on Swamp Road. This will be the second Christmas since he's gone, and the day is all the lesser for it.
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Our neighbor got a rescue-dog this week, a 4-year-old Staffordshire terrier / black lab mix named Elsie. Made the standard greeting of putting out the hand, but she was a little skittish and started yapping a bit. Neighbor said she believes the previous owner abused her, as she is skittish around men. Sheds like the Dickens! Hope it's a good fit for them both.

There's a whole debate about owning your dog from 8 weeks old and getting a rescue dog from a shelter. Some say that a rescue will never truly be your dog, some say that a rescue will love its new owner all the more. I will weasel out, take the middle ground and understand both points of view. It's a choice that each individual has to make. Myself, I would want a litter puppy, and it's a delicate choice. We have had luck with selecting males who are a little fatter and a little oafish. May be a little slow, but they are loyal and gentle. That is how their personality comes rough hewn; it is training that provides the finer touches. We are not ready for another dog, though, and I would be hard pressed to say when we will be. It's a heck of a commitment that too many people take too lightly.

"It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made
by men of their choice, if the laws are so voluminous that they
cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; [or]
if they... undergo such incessant changes that no man who knows
what the law is today can guess what it will be tomorrow."
--- James Madison

So Much Depends

By James Dufresne

All deference to Mr. Williams,

but there are many other red objects

upon which so much depends

regardless of their juxtaposition to fowl.

Red hot water bottle pressed to an ear, insulated with white washcloth,

red dump truck stained with road sand, hauling demolished white plaster,

red windmill varnished with shellac, with spinning white paddles,

red candle brimming with wax, perched on white holder,

red fire engine freshly washed and waxed, a white Dalmatian atop,

red screwdriver speckled by old paint drops, securing the white mailbox,

red Coca-Cola can beaded with condensation, atop the white tablecloth

are equally dependable for their own purpose.

So much depends on these objects

but like the red wheel barrow depends

on a driver to grasp both handles,

lift its load, keep balance and spot-deliver its contents

So much depends on people using any red tool,

on knowing how to use them and exerting the

willpower necessary to start the task, then

persevere through setback, force majeure, or bad design.

With the red setting sun, so much depends on

walking through our red doors, eating a dinner

of roasted red potatoes and warming by red embers,

while thinking about what color to paint the barn.

"When the shadow of the sash appeared in the curtains it was between seven and eight o'clock and then I was in time again, hearing the watch. It was Grandfather’s and when Father gave it to me he said, 'I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire; it’s rather excruciatingly apt that you will use it to gain the reducto absurdum of all human experience which can fit your individual needs no better than it fitted his or his father’s. I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all your breath trying to conquer it.'"

--- William Faulkner from "The Sound and the Fury"

(Image © Yahoo! News France)

The Birdhouse

Alack and alas, here are the promised pictures of the birdhouse, old and new.

Technically, one is supposed to turn in expired license plates to the DMV, but these have been out of commission for quite a while now and no one has come knocking down our door for them. The plate numbers have been blurred for obvious reasons.

"People who know little are usually great talkers, 
while men who know much say little." 
--- Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Making A Liar Out of Me

A while back, in the street sign entry I wrote that there hasn't been any vandalism on them in quite a while. That kids are more busy today, more lazy, and (I hoped) more civic-minded.

Today, I was informed that one of them on the main road around the lake was lying into the street. It was one that we dug a new hole for and re-set in fresh concrete back in October. The concrete mass was the end in the road... so even with 50+ m.p.h. wind gusts today, I would say it likely had help getting in such a position. There wasn't any damage besides a few scuff marks in the new paint where it must have hit the ground. A mound of fresh dirt was visible. Not much to do other than dig out the hole a little deeper, make sure the street names are aligned properly, fill it in and hope that someone's wild oats have been sown enough. So that's what I did.

Don't quite get it, though. Tearing out your own street sign is a lot like kicking yourself in the balls.

27 November 2009

Had an interesting Turkey Day yesterday. Preparation was a little discombobulated, as we didn't find out for sure what the arrangements were until Tuesday evening. Took a 9-lb. turkey breast out of the chest freezer then and it was still a little solid near the giblet bag ~ noon yesterday. The freezer does its job well. Otherwise, I made some pumpkin pie, stuffing, butternut squash and mashed potatoes. It was a quiet Thanksgiving for the first time in several years.
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Today was a farmer's holiday, with some wind gusts added to the rain. Got a bit of a head start on the Christmas decorations. Fixed the front door wreath and the attic door pull with some knit/fabric ornaments. Also brought down an old 3' plastic Santa. We'll see if that stays or goes back into storage.
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Lit the wood stove for the first time this past week, so it is warm and toasty in the basement. Bit of a late start with the stove this year. Not like we need to conserve the woodpile... it's stacked with about 5 1/2 cords; plus, six large kindling bags for starting fuel. Having the woodlot across town has saved a lot of money over the years --- it just requires some time and effort. Got a nice blend of red oak, white oak and maple in the stack this year, all of which burn very well. As my UConn botany professor, Dr. Lewis said, wood stoves are a relatively inexpensive and environmentally conscious choice for heating, in the absence of solar or geothermal systems that are still not in wide use due to cost. Wood burns clean CO2, doesn't create pollution/degradation to get it, is a renewable resource, and you can use the (cooled) ashes as compost fill.

21 November 2009

Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron was fired on Tuesday this week. It's the first step of a long road toward turning the franchise back toward respectability. There's a lot that needs to be fixed in the hierarchy of the front office. The multiple-VP 'consensus' system that was initiated a couple of years ago is not what's required in the NFL. So far, the rumor-mill has generated the name of former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, who would ostensibly be brought in either late this season in an advisory role (similar to Bill Parcells' post with the Miami Dolphins) and perhaps be named as the head coach and/or GM after the season concludes. The issue of how much control a new hire would have is something that will have to be worked out. Ralph Wilson, the Bills' owner, is rightly making generic statements, but hinted that established big-name coaches are on the radar. For an owner who has run his team on the cheap for the last ten years (and who has meddled with his toy to the team's detriment since the start) I'll believe in change when I see it.
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Started building a new tailgate for the trailer this week, in addition to re-jiggering the tail light wiring. It will soon be street legal again. The tailgate is a pattern of three horizontal pressure-treated 1" x 6" boards with a 6" gap between them, and bolted together with four shorter vertical sections. Will have to post a picture when it's complete. This is, I hope, ahead of doing some more extensive repairs on the trailer itself in the spring. The plywood sides have certainly seen better days and the frame could use a fresh coat of paint.
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Built a replacement birdhouse this afternoon, essentially making a copy of the design of the old one whose wood was weathering away. The entry hole had been hacked away to about 4" in diameter, and it's been awhile since I noticed any birds in residence. Building it better, painting it 'Colonial Red' and also making a roof covering out of a pair of old Connecticut license plates that were from our '86 Bronco (which had quite the same color scheme as the new CT plates). That was something I'd seen in a magazine some time back, and it seemed like a interesting idea. This, too, I'll have to share a picture of when it's done.
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The UConn football team beat Notre Dame this afternoon in double OT. Undoubtedly the biggest win in the program's young history... and surely an emotional victory for the team with all that's happened in the past month.
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I recently rejoined Facebook. After the family reunion "pumpkin carving party" just before Hallowe'en, it made me rethink the decision. Made a few changes, edited the 'Friend' list a bit and it seems a little more palatable now. Not on it all day (not that I ever was)... just now and then. We'll see how it goes.

The Leonids

The annual Leonid meteor shower this year is expected to be above-average viewing.

Some quality links:
◦ Strong Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks Early Tuesday Morning

◦ November's Best: The Legendary Leonids

Drag yourself out of bed after midnight tonight (peak is reportedly 1 a.m. - 4 a.m.), grab a blanket and sit by the window to watch falling space debris. The forecast is for clear skies, and we are moonless (officially called a "new moon"), so it doesn't get much better, weather-wise.

We have not had a very good viewing year here in the Northeast since 2001. I remember that I had been up that night writing a paper (not last-minute... I just did a lot of my best writing in college in the pre-dawn hours) and intermittently got up and sat at the French doors in the living room that overlook the lake. That show was quite good, and especially at that time, it served as a reminder --- for me at least --- to maintain perspective. There are constants even in our ever-changing world.

According to The [New London] Day link above, there should be about 500 meteors an hour. Enjoy the show!

(Image © Juraj Toth, Modra Observatory, 1998)

"When I finished it, I thought, 

'Well, I guess this will change the world.' It didn't. ... 

I thought I would win the Nobel Prize. ... Nothing happened." 

--- William Gaddis, about his book "The Recognitions" (1955)

Banking Some Green

Got in some kale the other night. They're the last plants left in the garden (well, besides the unused swiss chard that's going to get tilled in). Like many in the brassica genus, kale keeps growing after the frosts hit --- actually, many people comment that it tastes better after the first frost. I don't know why that is, but it's probably due to not drawing up a certain nutrient(s) from the ground in cold weather.

Kale is a great plant to grow in the garden. Dark, leafy greens are good for the brain, and high on the desirable list in the new food pyramid released by the USDA a couple of years back. My grandparents in WNY used to have this in their garden every year, and it can probably be attributed to my their mental acuity even as their bodies were failing from old age. Kale and garlic were staples there. I have usually used it in making soups and stews --- one recipe is basically chicken broth, diced potatoes, a significant amount of kale and kielbasa. That recipe card gets a decent amount of action in the winter months. I've also been using it in pea soups. Takes a while to cook down, and it seems like it tastes best when it cooks slowly versus just cooking some on the stove-top.

Anyway, I put in four kale plants this year and they did very well. Harvesting, as I have always done it, consists of doing a preliminary wash with the garden hose while still on the plant, snapping the leaves and bringing them inside. Then, tearing the greens off of the stems, washing, doing a couple of turns in the salad spinner and packing them tightly in Ziploc quart-size freezer bags (and squeezing out excess air). I put them in the freezer and take them out as I need them over the winter.

Agassi Opens Up

Had to say that I was surprised as all get out last week when I read that Andre Agassi's tell-all book, titled "Open" reveals that he used crystal meth repeatedly in 1997.

First comes the disappointment that a player I loved to watch when the majors were on television would do something something so stupid. But then there's the grudging acceptance... that's just how things are a lot of the time. Watching the interview on "60 Minutes" last night also went a long way toward seeing it in a different light. In "Open" (a double meaning of tennis's biggest matches and Agassi coming clean about exactly what happened) you can see a man wanting to set the record straight on his own initiative, and you can see him asking for forgiveness. The cover of the book is striking itself, with a full-frame close-up sending the message that this is the story front and center, no hiding, no weaseling.

One can also see that crystal meth is not a performance-enhancing drug. Agassi is not on the level of a number of baseball stars who admittedly, or according to official drug testing, used steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. I think most of their (and Major League Baseball's) fault lies in trying to conceal what they did. Still, to sweep illegal drug use under the rug as if it's OK sends the wrong message.

Seems that the larger lesson that Agassi wants to communicate is his personal redemption. Getting caught by the pro tour's drug-testing lab was a wake-up call for him. And wake up he did. His play from 1999 to his retirement in 2006 produced a lot of great tennis. Most of all, the classic U.S. Open final against Pete Sampras.

Some in the tennis world have come down pretty hard on Agassi, including legend Martina Navratilova, and current phenoms Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The American public has an amazing capacity for forgiveness --- but only when they are told the truth. This story would have been many times worse had it been revealed any number of years in the future. Agassi does deserve some compassion right now, and while I remain disappointed, I'm also glad he told the story honestly --- and openly --- on his own.

"There Are No Warnings, Only Signs"

It was about two weeks ago that I finished painting the road signs in the lake community where I live. Started on a fast tack with two coats of white back in mid-May. Then, it started raining for the next two months, and painting anything outside was next to impossible. As easy as rolling the white fence paint on was, two coats of black lettering was tedious, time-consuming, and required a steady painting hand. The black paint for the lettering took about 2 hours for each sign. I managed to stay at it, getting them done a section at a time --- the hill one day, over by the store a few days later. From thick mosquitoes (especially up on the Pine Hill section) and humidity to falling leaves and wind chills. Add in some unforeseen occurrences, a population that really doesn't volunteer much (nor, apparently, do we have many good painters) and you can see how it might lag on until mid-October.

The signs were originally my oldest brother's Eagle Scout project in the Boy Scouts, which happened almost 20 years ago now. Ever since, the family has done maintenance on the signs, and as I've gotten older, I have worked steadily to finish some of the remaining signs that never quite got done. At this point, there are 30 signs that mark both association-owned and town-owned roads. At right is a representative example of the street signs. They consist of pressure-treated 4x4 posts, crowned at the top, with 3-inch stencil street names routered down all four sides. They are then anchored in concrete about a foot to a foot-and-a-half down into the ground (or as far as you can dig without hitting a huge rock).

Over the years, there has been some vandalism to the signs. Mostly, though, that happened shortly after they were first put up in the early '90s by a group of teenagers who apparently resented easily identifiable street signs that aid police, fire department, delivery trucks, mail trucks, etc. It was just a rough element here that rebelled, probably mostly because it was my family that put them up. They have moved on. And apparently, either kids are more civic-minded these days... or, as the darker theory goes, they're too busy with sports, video games or "hooking up." I would like to think they see the value of the signs, and I hope they're appreciated as a kind of unifying theme for the lake community... a kind of functional artwork in themselves. It's important to foster a sense of pride, ownership, and duty around the lake. I'm not going to say that a few coats of paint can work miracles, but I believe it contributes.

Pond Project

The next few entries will be catching up on some promised pictures.

The pond project is functionally completed until next spring when the drainage ditch is expected to be continued down the edge of the lawn and woods. The homeowner would like to create a tick barrier next year.

Anyway, these are some photos that I took at the time, showing a bit of the process. Dug a ditch down the center of the pond that serves as a fail-safe drainage for whatever water gets under the liner; placed a layer of landscape fabric in, placed in some perforated pipe and 3/4" gravel, then wrapped it over to prevent debris from clogging the pipe. This ditch was pretty hard digging. Had to use a pick ax and shovel a little bit at a time. Got a couple of blisters from that, don't you know.

There is quite a lapse from the time of the layer of sand stage (to protect the PVC liner from puncture on the bottom side) to where there is only a bit of the liner visible. Installing the liner itself goes pretty fast. Piling rocks next to it, and on the shelf inside of the pond went a little less fast. Was able to drive up stones I selected elsewhere on the property to the pond site via a lawn tractor and old Wheel Horse lawn trailer. I believe I've written about that previously, so there's no need to repeat myself.

It began as a tradition... of leaving some relic(s) of the time period behind in every stone project I've been a part of since 2003, either with a great friend of mine or in solo work.  There's just the air that as we found old things inside of some walls that we deconstructed or "cannibalized" --- one along an old route in Scotland, Conn., near the home of Samuel Huntington, the first president of the Continental Congress --- we should put items in the stonework that will be discovered many years from now.

Usually, it is a soda bottle or other odd knick-knack found elsewhere on the site. Sometimes it is hidden entirely, other times, it's been a blatantly visible Pepsi bottle in a crevice in an otherwise historic 19th c. barn re-creation. It certainly won't have the cachet of finding coinage of the realm, etc. in other time capsules, but it we considered it our "calling card."

This picture came out quite blurry for some reason. I remember that it was pretty cold out that day and my hands were in the water, so they may not have been very steady. Working on this in the fall may not have provided the neatest work site, but the leaves are going to fall in it every year anyway. Can't do anything about that except rake them out late in the year or in the spring.

Can still see a bit of the liner showing. I moved the two large stones that had been in the middle of the lower pond section to the side, and placed the liner over them. Before that, I placed some old shop towels against the rocks for a buffer (FYI: this is not entirely unconventional. The manufacturer suggests old carpet sections).

In this last group you see the "functionally complete" pond. The water level is very high right now, but the ground nearby is reasonably dry... which was the point of the project. Tried putting one of the water lilies in a container (wrapped the soil with landscape fabric) and transferred it to the lower section. We'll see how that survives the winter. Also removed a number of thorn bushes that had been to the left side, which clears out the area a bit and makes it both more enjoyable to walk around, and possible to mow.

There are some stone outcroppings into the water in the lower section to allow for some frog landings next summer. As it was, they were staying mostly in the upper section... then again, the construction probably scared them off a bit. It'll be interesting to see how they like the new habitat. Also reinforced the bridge with some large flat stones.... Then again, I don't want to encourage any walking across of the bridge. As the ice moves things around, I'm not sure it will not remain as stable as it is now.

All in all, not a bad little project.

The Plantae P.O.V.

Have been anticipating "The Botany of Desire" since promos ran about a month ago, and it was on PBS last night. Truth be told, I've been waiting for longer than that. The program was based on a book by the same title that Michael Pollan wrote a while back. While I was taking the botany course at UConn, one of the teaching assistants sold me on it, and I decided to check it out at the library. I never got a chance. Whenever I looked, it was always taken out. Even the library in town here has a copy that seems to never be on the shelf for long. I guess that if I ever want to read it, I'll need to shell out.

In the meantime, however, the program was excellent, especially with all of the photographs and video in HD.

In a nutshell, Pollan uses four types of plants --- the apple, the tulip, cannabis, and the potato --- to explore mankind's relations with the plant world (I looked on disapprovingly during the cannabis section). Like that old joke about aliens determining that dogs are the leaders of Earth, Pollan asks, 'Who's really in charge here?' We do things for these and other plants. We breed them in mass quantity. We feed them. We perpetuate them in our culture. We think we control them. But, as Pollan notes, by looking from the plant's perspective, one could easily argue that they have power over us.

As I've written before, the botany course was probably the most interesting class I took at the U. I think what hooked me was seeing the green algae Volvox under the microscope the first time. It spirals as it moves through the water, and the formation is just beautiful. Like the flagellate movement of Chlamydomonas, you would almost swear that there is something alive in there with conscious thought. But, alas, there is no brain and its movement is entirely random and acted upon by chemical attractions and environmental conditions. Soon after, though, there's the thought 'What if we're like that?' What if humanity and anamalia are simply creations that do nature's bidding --- entirely controlled by chemical forces whose complexity we don't understand? And I think to a large extent in responding to this last question, we do and we are. Earlier this year came the discovery of "zombie" ants whose brains are controlled by a fungus. Would it be so hard to consider that other animal species could be similarly controlled? There's an argument in there that could cozy up with philosophical Hard Determinism.

Bad Fan

I was never a fan of the Dick Jauron hire in Buffalo. He is an expressionless, ultra-conservative coach in a league that demands action, involvement, and offense. Jauron's unabashed man-love for defensive backs has led to using 60 percent of the last four drafts for secondary players. I'm not going to say that the surfeit of drafted DBs doesn't contribute. Just that their selections come to the detriment of many other positions of need. And these deficiencies are in much more important positions in the grand scheme. Building from the secondary out is a stupid strategy. The fact that the run defense was shredded to bits against the Jets and is dead-last in the league in the 'Yards Allowed' category is a clear indictment of the front-7 and adequate depth. Hurray for the pass defense --- and their only measure of success comes because opponents are all too happy to run roughshod over weak DTs and LBs --- but the Bills can't stop anyone when it counts or put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. In order to be an effective defense, the secondary would have to play shut-down on every wide receiver for 7-10 seconds, on every play. Most teams are lucky to have that kind of coverage five times per game.

Blaming injuries for the problems is a weasel argument --- you have to be prepared for injuries because LBs get hurt often in the NFL; it's just the nature of the position that injuries will happen. Having street free agents at these spots is begging for the position the Bills are in --- namely, getting blasted for 318 yards rushing versus the Jets. Most days, a team is not going to overcome that. What happens when the Bills' defense doesn't get gifted 6 interceptions? Add into it those 'backup' players who are firstly and secondly retained for special teams, and are woeful in normal play. It means our depth is in even worse shape than any other team, right out of training camp. Bobby April, the special teams coach, and Jauron have had too much influence in drafting and roster management. The front office structure, with five VPs and a marketing man as CEO, to put it simply... sucks. If last week's piss-poor win is part of an excuse to keep Jauron beyond this season, I will officially become a bad fan akin to Randy Quaid's character in "Major League" until Ralph Wilson dies. The old man's refusal to fire bad coaches (because he'd still have to pay their full salary) and spend money on good coaches is one of the major reasons for 4 out 5 losing decades. In a time when others are feeling a pinch, Wilson cleared over $30M last year. He refuses to spend to the salary cap, refuses to pay for good coaching and allows a front office hierarchy that is busy staring at its own colon.

The offense doesn't get off easy, either. As big a supporter I was of Trent Edwards, it's apparent from back-up QB Ryan Fitzpatrick's play that Trent is regressing. And, with some time to see it more clearly, it started after the concussion in the Cardinals game last year. Can only imagine what effect the latest concussion against the Jets will have. There have been a lot of young QBs in the NFL ruined b/c they play in bad offenses and behind bad offensive lines. All of those first-round busts came into the league with a lot of talent... and that talent dried up and blew away. They got gun-shy/skittish in the pocket, panicky when holding the ball, and their final death knell was indecisiveness. Trent Edwards is at the panicky stage; that's why he's not progressing his reads and not seeing open receivers, and why he's been so quick to 'check down' to receivers rather than go for passes over 10 5 yards, even when it's 3rd & 18. It's sad that such bad roster management and coaching has led to this. There's not too many quarterbacks that came back from this black hole-like progression --- though the jury is still out on David Carr. "Bust"ing often says as much about the surrounding cast as it does about an individual player.

What I do know is that before the Bills get another QB, they need to build an offensive line and get competent coaches. And, as I've written, there's about a 10 percent chance of this happening while Ralph Wilson is alive. In the meantime, it's going to be shades of futility. Good players are going to come in here and have a high failure rate b/c there is an air of toxicity at One Bills Drive.

(Photo illustration uses images © Mirage / Paramount Pictures, Buffalo Bills)

“All human beings, whether religious or not, are caught in a tragic situation of never fully being able to understand the world we are in.” 

--- Theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg

 "Turn your head away from the screen / Oh, people, it will tell you nothing more"

-- Jeff Buckley "Sky Is a Landfill"

One looks at all the bizarre stuff going on --- from the doings of Islamic extremism to seriously odd weather patterns to the rising rate of everyday stress with which everyone is burdening themselves --- and it leads to so many questions. How did we get here? How can we alleviate this mass hysteria... this mass anger? To borrow from "The Pilgrim's Progress"... How shall we save our souls?

I have become a strong proponent of giving our video screens a break. Don't leave them on all day just to produce background noise, mindless entertainment, and to "be connected" in the most unconnected way ever conceived.

It goes counter to someone who went to J-school, but we need to get away from the news a little. I don't suppose there's anything wrong with watching the evening news and reading the amassed headlines on Google News, but I find that taking a break from all of these stories of hate, death and malfeasance can help a mindset. Looking into the screens too much can lead to what plagued Denethor in Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" --- a leader who ages rapidly and gets more depressed and eventually self-destructive as he looks into the palantír stone that told of the Enemy's power (a biased perspective of that power, it turns out, shown deliberately to produce these effects on viewers). The more Denethor looked into the stone, the more hopeless he got, the more determined he was that nothing could be done to avoid the destruction that seemed to be everywhere. Likewise, we look at our screens and it colors our world with all of the bad happenings of the day, natural and man-made. It's no wonder of the stereotypical newsman who drinks himself into oblivion --- it borrows from real life where people forced to read a steady stream of woe develop arm's-length/second-hand post-traumatic stress disorder.

It's important to not get sucked into the belief that all that is happening in the world is tragedy and negativity. It's important to turn off our screens and be reminded of everyday human interaction, and that we each have the power to do our small bit of good works... if we but try!

RIP Jasper Howard

I must have walked by the Student Union at UConn a thousand times while I went there. Each time it was mostly uneventful. After all, this was a town whose nickname on campus was/is "Snorrs, Connecticut." Then came the news yesterday morning that Jasper Howard, a starting cornerback on the UConn football team was stabbed in front of the building in the midnight hour on Sunday morning. It's difficult to register that someone whose joyous post-game quotes I had just read in the Sunday Courant a few minutes before was now dead. What an absolute waste of a human being with so much going for him.

On a broad level, this is subtly being called an old story. Jasper came to Connecticut from a tough side of Miami. His father was not in the picture. His mother worked multiple jobs to support the family. He had a sister with health problems. Jasper was the first in his family to go to college. He was an expectant father. He was intent on playing professionally so he could provide for his family. Sadly, he was taken before his time by the hand of another person. For anyone who follows sports, tell me you haven't seen these same parameters --- literally --- a hundred times before. An old story that lacks not for fresh faces.

This changes the university. It changes the football program. Though not on the scale of the Virginia Tech shooting, you have to imagine there's a bit of the same pallor. The knife also cut into the sense of security on a small-ish, somewhat secluded campus. And yet, determined groups of people left behind do get through tragedies.

The authorities officially do not have a suspect yet, but have evidence that the perpetrator was not a student. This seems to be one of the main patterns in problems UConn has had in several high-profile incidents, mostly notably the annual Spring Weekend. People unconnected with the university invade, take advantage of the school's atmosphere and comely population, drink, make their trouble, then leave. UConn is a publicly-funded school, and therefore, citizens have access to many of its resources, mostly the Homer Babbidge Library. I am not advocating putting Storrs into a bubble. But, on balance, I think it's time for the administration to look into the level of access and more wisely weigh it against the safety concerns of the students.

(Image © AP Photo / UConn Athletics)

"It is good to be without vices, 
but it is not good to be without temptations."
--- Walter Bagehot

Album Review: "Give Up the Ghost" --- Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile officially released her third album "Give Up the Ghost" yesterday. Haven't had a chance to pick it up yet (yes, folks, I'm one of those few people who still buy hard copy CDs. I just like to be able to physically hold things that I buy) but no doubt I will.

What I have heard from free whole-album audio on Billboard's website has left me with some initial impressions. And they're not all good. I've been looking forward to this album for a while now, having kept apprised of some of the new road songs through concert postings on YouTube, etc. There are some good tunes on the new album that suffer in the vocals and instrumentation from the concert versions. The lyrics haven't changed (much). The music simply isn't as good. There are several tracks that don't flow well and don't have good rhythm. It pains me to write this criticism about one of my favorite singers.

I accept that each artist does what they think is right and what sounds right. "Give Up the Ghost" is Ms. Carlile's album. I am a listener. But to my ears, this album could have been much better. Perhaps part of the reason is the time lapse since "The Story" was released. Many of the songs on "... Ghost" have been bouncing around on the road for two years. The band may know them a little too well. Something that worked on "The Story" was that producer T-Bone Burnett took them out of their comfort zone by having them use unfamiliar instruments. As a result, that album had freshness... it had an edge. Similar to something from my college days, when you're taking an exam, you should almost always stick with the answer you gave first. It's when you go back and second-guess yourself that you often run into problems. There has no doubt been pressure to tour as much as the band does in order to build up the fan base, but "... Ghost" should have been done sooner.

Also a small disappointment, the new album should have been titled with the more familiar "Giving Up the Ghost." If you're going to use phraseology, use the phrase that rolls off the tongue. "Give Up..." is stilted, not as natural. What's more, I don't understand the decision to go with command sentence form, as if the listener is supposed to "give up the ghost." Grammatically speaking, the track "If There Was No You" should be "If There Were No You." Ms. Carlile actually dropped out of high school to focus on her music. I'm not generally in favor of this choice, but I also recognize that the broad structure of high school just isn't for some people who are exceptionally gifted in one area of study and exceptionally devoid in other areas. Some people's brains are just not wired for science and math. High school has zero-tolerance of/for this fact. Still, Brandi would benefit immensely from Professor Jambeck's "The English Language" grammar course.

(Image © The Beaumont Club)

On Blogging for Profit

In light of the recent Federal Trade Commission statement regarding blogger endorsements of products, I would like to take this opportunity to set something down in no uncertain terms:

Any retail product, good, or service that I have written or will write about in this blog has not and never will be provided free of charge or for other compensation, monetary or otherwise, without each such entry expressly saying so.

On its face, I'm wouldn't be averse to getting free stuff in exchange for using and then writing about it. But, since this blog has perhaps two readers (one of them being me), vouchsafe that this practice is not in any company's interest or gain. What is here in the white type has been and will be my unvarnished opinion after having thoroughly researched and --- in the vast majority of times --- used or experienced a product or service.

Pond Project Part Deux

Have been continuing with the pond project for several days, here and there, between the rain and weekends. Sadly, though, I haven't had the chance to get many pictures. Will strive to do that tomorrow and post those that I have taken.

Since the last post, I dug a shallow trench down the middle of the bed, and put in some perforated pipe, covered with some 3/4" crushed gravel and all enclosed in landscape fabric to keep it from clogging with soil and organic debris. Then shoveled in a layer of sand on the bottom, up the sides and on the shelves to give a smooth surface for the pond liner to prevent punctures. Also moved some of the large boulders to the side, as putting them over the liner had me worried about puncturing; I used some old towels to create a soft surface on some harder edges and along the round-edged stone. Then, installed the liner and started to stack stone on the shelves I created. The liner filled with water almost to the top in two rain storms we've had since. Indeed, the pond is now doing the trickle overflow as planned with the open system --- as water is flowing in from the stream, an equal amount is flowing out of the pond. So far, I have nearly finished both sides of the shelves and it is shaping up nicely. Decided early on not to stack very formally, with no shaping of the stone, as the intent is to make this look "natural" to whatever extent that can be accomplished, and to blend in with the other existing non-liner pond. Then again, I've had good fit with the stone selection that's available in a lower section of the property. I make my pickings and load them in the homeowner's lawn tractor and Wheel Horse yard trailer (hallelujah! that has saved a lot of back and forth) or on my hand truck for bigger stones.

They're already impressed with how much the yard has dried out where it was a soupy mess before. I'm also appreciating that I have free reign on this project --- they're taking a hands-off approach and letting me determine the shape of the pond and stone choice. Some people on projects like this can tend to micromanage, ask a thousand questions and be dead-set on doing some things that aren't advisable from a functional standpoint. Even so, I fully understand why people do that and certainly work with them on --- it is, after all, their project. But it is nice to have artistic freedom.

"This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it. ... Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." 
--- Ralph Waldo Emerson

2 October 2009

One almost feels sorry for President Obama these days.

For everything he touches, the more he touches it, the more it turns to sh--.

The economy, health care... now the Olympics.

1 October 2009

Went to the dentist on Tuesday for the normal 6-month cleaning. Always fun, that.

I know I'm probably like most people with regards to brushing and flossing. Every time you have an appointment at the dentist, you do a mad rush of both every day in the final few weeks, trying to make up for all the times that were skipped. And then, after some chiding during the cleaning, you re-dedicate yourself, saying, "I'm going to brush and floss every day this time.... Really!" And for the best of us, that usually lasts for about two weeks until we settle back into our old routine.

For the toothbrush, I went electric a while back, which seems to have helped. The ad copy says that 2 minutes of brushing with an electric is like 10 minutes of brushing with a regular toothbrush. For me, it's a drawn-out affair, never that 2-minute deal. Flossing is a real time-consumer. Before I know it, I've spent 15 minutes on cleaning my chompers.

There's a commercial that runs in the Providence area for a dentist office where a woman says, "I love my dentist. How many people can say that they love their dentist?" Well, my hygienist is my cousin (a lot of the family goes to this office partly because of that and because it's one of the best places around) so I figure I can say I love my dental hygienist. It's also helped out vis-a-vis when taking X-rays, they take four and charge for one, or last year when the dentist was doing some silver amalgam filling on one wisdom tooth and ended up doing them all while he was in there, at no additional charge. Not having dental insurance myself, it's very much appreciated.

Didn't have any cavities or anything this time, and no "Holy hell!!!" moments where you leave impressions on the hand grips in the chair, though they said that getting the wisdom teeth out is on the horizon, with some early indications of softness on the back of the upper right wisdom tooth. Said I have perfect teeth otherwise (honestly, he said that. Admittedly, I had braces as a kid). It's just very hard to reach way back there, even at the dentist's with their specialized tools.

But, truthfully, I'm going to brush and floss every day now.... Really!

"A high station in life is earned by the gallantry with which
appalling experiences are survived with grace."
--- Tennessee Williams

Pond Project

Here are some pictures of the progress so far on rehabbing an existing diverted trickle-stream. Drained the lower pond and cleared out a good depth of silt. Moved rocks out of the way. Shoveled in some ledges where rocks will lay to hold down the liner (will be doing the other side tomorrow). Built a small section of wall at the lower end nearest to where the water-in-the-lawn problem is --- used rounded rock toward the inside so there will be no sharp edges against the liner. Plan on doing a small trench down the middle of the lower pond section to allow for run-off of stream water that may trickle underneath the liner through the dividing berm / dam. These were taken after a bit of rain, so there is more pooled water in the lower section that is mostly drained now. After the lower section is completed, the homeowner wants some of the water lilies moved there (they are in baskets) as it is getting crowded in the upper pool. Also says that mosquitoes are not a real problem, probably owing to the number of frogs that reside there.

After the Emmys

Was happy to see Michael Emerson (Best Supporting Actor, as Ben Linus on "LOST") and PBS Masterpiece Classic miniseries "Little Dorrit" (Best miniseries, as well as in six other categories for writing, directing, art direction, costumes and cinematography) take home Emmy awards.

I cannot think of any other actor who could bring more to the Benjamin Linus character --- a character that was originally a bit part on the show until Emerson fleshed him out. Fleshed him out, indeed, into the most devious, creepy, sly, lying / prevaricating, and brutal screen character ever. The man who always has a plan, and with complicated schemes, almost always gets what he wants. Credit the show's writers for subsequently crafting Ben into all that he is. It includes the qualities above, but what makes Ben such a great character is his ability to reconnect with the audience, and even make us feel pity for him, even after the darkest of his turns. It's the wry sense of humor, our knowledge that he holds so many secrets to the mysteries of the island that we want to find out about, the losses he endures as he watched his leadership crumble (as well as the humor-in-defeat philosophy this produces), the hilarious silent scene with Hurley and the Apollo candy bar outside of Jacob's cabin, and the sense that this man is destined to be screwed by fate. To this point, the best moment in the series was the scene where Ben moves the island. Emerson won the Emmy this year for his work in "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" alone. I also appreciate Emerson's own level of interest in the show. In so many interviews celebrities talk about themselves ad nauseum, but in a show where virtually any character can be killed off at any moment, his enthusiasm for the work shows. Emerson is as much a fan as us.

I was thinking last night while watching the "Inspector Lewis" series that I've been really impressed with the redesign of Masterpiece under Rebecca Eaton. A couple of seasons ago, it was divvied up into Masterpiece Classic, Mystery, and Contemporary, given much better intro and end graphics, along with less stodgy hosts that give a brief introduction --- among them, Alan Cumming, Laura Linney and Gillian Anderson. High-definition television has really helped the program as well --- technology that PBS was the first to really embrace. It's brought new life to the series, and it's nice to see them get recognition. "Little Dorrit" in particular was a very good Andrew Davies adaptation of the rags-to-riches-and-back-to-rags classic. The character of Rigaud was overplayed (then again, it was overwritten by Dickens), but Matthew MacFadyen, Claire Foy and Tom Courtenay were top-notch. Also, an under-valued performance from James Fleet as the pitiable Frederick Dorrit.

'Course, I didn't watch the Emmy Awards. Honestly, who does?

"The perfection of a life with a gun dog,
like the perfection of an autumn is disturbing
because you know, even as it begins, that it must end.
Time bestows the gift and steals it in the process."
--- George "Bird" Evans in "An Affair With Grouse"

An Abstract Art

I have to include a link to Christoph Niemann's Abstract City blog. There's one in a left-hand column, but it really deserves some headline linkage space of its own.

Always find myself laughing out loud at his work. Loved the "I Lego N.Y." entry and the most recent post about sleep is something we all can relate to. They entries are sporadic (then again, a fair amount of graphic design work goes into them) but they are can't-miss.

Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory Since 2001

Tonight, my Buffalo Bills once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on Monday Night Football.

Really, they've done this almost every game since the Marv Levy / Wade Phillips era ended. Whenever they do keep a game close into the 4th quarter (or, like tonight, have an 11-point lead with 6 minutes left), we Bills fans know exactly what's coming. Some flub, fumble, bounce or bollix, and the game is given away. Your heart is pounding for those several minutes where it's close. This is a vestigial endorphin rush, you do not know why your heart is pounding so fast --- because what always happens seems as inevitable as the sun rising tomorrow morning --- it just does. Fourth quarter anguish is part of the Bills fan experience.

To talk about the organization for a minute, they've had quite a bit of shake-up in the past week and a half. Dick Jauron, the Yale man / nice guy / perennial loser of a head coach, fired the offensive coordinator, Turk Schonert, after the final preseason game. Schonert said he was fired because Jauron "wanted a Pop Warner offense." Then, a short time later, they released Langston Walker, the player tagged in the offseason as the left tackle (the key spot on the offensive line, for anyone who may not know about football), who got all the starting LT snaps in minicamps, through training camp and during preseason games.

Jauron has to be aware that his job is on the line. Even 90-year-old owner Ralph Wilson will only put up with losing for so long. Jauron received a 3-year extension last year based on the first 6 games (5-1) of the season. Then the team nose-dived and finished out 2-8 --- an epic collapse. The contract was signed already, though, and old man Wilson doesn't like to eat contracts, so he threw out a "continuity is good, mmm-kay!??!" excuse.

Well, now, we have just witnessed continuity for sure. The team continued getting dumb penalties, continued game mismanagement (clock and time-out use), continued general "keep it close" small-ball, continued to play our CBs 10 yards off the line of scrimmage (thereby giving offenses free, guaranteed 5 yards a clip if they can just connect a slant or screen pass), and continued to give up big plays late in the game.

I hate that I love this team.

"Let everyone sweep in front of his own door,
and the whole world will be clean."
--- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

A Sip of Brandi

Have meant to write about Brandi Carlile, my favorite musician who is still alive, since the inception of this blog.

Before anyone writes her off by the spelling of the first name, rest assured that Ms. Carlile is nothing like a teenage fad singer. She has made a name for herself through authenticity --- something that fully 93 percent of all musical acts these days lack. There are no dance moves. No bling. No sultry, oversexed music videos. No stutter-like drawing out of lyrics ala Whitney Houston that only draws attention away from the lyrics and to the singer. (E.g. One of the most egregious times to do this is the National anthem, which, if you're singing it properly, should take about 45 seconds. Instead, these days we get, "♪ O'er the laaa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-AAA-n-d of the free-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-aaaa----eeeee and the Hoo-oo-o-o-o-o-o-o-me of the braaa-a-a-a-a-a-a--aa-a-a-aaaaaaaeeeeeaaaaaveeeeee ♪♫"). They record live-to-tape; no digital splicing and dicing. Beyond fabulous hair and some make-up, there is little frill from Ms. Carlile. All the frill required is contained in the words and the voice.

The link directly below leads to a YouTube video of a song from the upcoming album "Give Up the Ghost" titled, "Before It Breaks."

Brandi is helped along by the songwriting, guitar and background vocals of the Hanseroth twins, Tim and Phil, and Josh Neumann on the cello. Some of the strongest songs to this point have been written by one or other of the twins, including the breakout hit "The Story." A few of her solo-written tracks on the first two albums regularly make me push the fast-forward button, most notably, "Happy." But Brandi herself is becoming a stronger writer, especially on "Again Today" and road titles "How These Days Grow Long / Dying Day" and "Love Songs."

I hate to pigeonhole any artist by saying, "their songs are ___" because there is eclecticism even on records where every song produces more or less the same vibe. To me, acts like Nickelback and Dave Matthews Band sound the same, song in and song out --- the words do change, but you get basically the same feeling and an album is 45 minutes of the same moan. Brandi's music has been described as trending toward the somewhat dark with a hint of rebellion. But mixed in along the way are some spiritual tracks like "Have You Ever," some anthem songs like "The Story" and "My Song," some great covers (both on CD albums and in live performance repertoire) including Elton John's "Madman Across the Water," and a few great on-the-road songs. Even the major categories provide a little difficulty. Is it Rock? Pop? Folk? Country? In truth, it's a pure blend that shouldn't be categorized.

Two years ago, a paperwork jaunt up to Maine was timed to coincide with a free outdoor concert where the Brandi Carlile band was an opening act/co-headliner, sponsored by L.L. Bean and held just outside their flagship store in Freeport. Of several photos I tried to take with my then-new digital camera, only one had a clear image of the stage --- and even then, there were hands and heads in the way and the lighting at that dusk hour was terrible for photography. The set mostly consisted of tracks from "The Story" album. The audio is included at the LL Bean site (click on the 'Listen to our Concert Series' link and from there, click on the Brandi Carlile entry for audio of the full shows. Very cool of LL Bean to do all of this). I thoroughly enjoyed that trip and am looking forward to her band's new album.

Zelda In Real Life

Recently, I discovered a web site that has some old Super Nintendo games available for download as freeware to be played on a PC. I suppose when a game is almost 20 years old, the makers assume they've milked just about all they're going to get. First, checked it out vis-a-vis malware and found that it was reputable. Looked around and found that they had Zelda: A Link to the Past available. That sure brought back memories.... Spent summers in WNY helping load hay at my uncle's farm and firewood at another uncle's.

At this other uncle's, the television was rigged with a metal box on the side of the television stand containing the power cords and a contraption to regulate television usage with a key. Now, my cousin always seemed like a master at getting the original or a spare copy of that key, despite the best efforts of my uncle to keep it turned off during the day, at least. My cousin would find a spare in a pair of pants or on a dresser and one time had several copies of the key made at a hardware store.

One by one, he would get caught with the television on at a time when it was supposed to be locked and the contraband key was confiscated. But not too often while I was there. I admit it, I aided and abetted. And so, taking a break from splitting logs when everyone else was out and about, we would go inside and play Zelda.

For anyone who's never played it, Zelda is a one-player game where the character, Link, must search for various and sundry items and tools to help him navigate the way toward beating Ganon, an evil wizard. All the while, Link must maintain his magic level and 'heart' power rating (you earned more hearts by destroying a boss at each castle, and by finding hidden pieces hither and yon in the game --- inside caves, through portals, in the oddest of places that required using whatever tool would get the job done). Often, you have to backtrack and go over the same ground 100 times. Many people might get frustrated by this, but we were 12, we drank highly-sugared iced tea mix (I would bring this as a masking agent for the high sulfur content of WNY water --- it helped minimally), and by using a secret television key, it had the lure of the forbidden.

But now that I'm seeing it again, Zelda does seem to have some parallels with real life, doesn't it? All the times when you had to go through the same door six times because you forgot something, you needed to complete some other steps first or just because that's how many trips it took to bring everything where you needed it. So many times we cross paths with people who hold some tiny clue in our greater quest, but without that smidgen of information or bit of help, we would be unprepared or entirely lost as what to do next. And sometimes, we simply need to look around, explore what's out there and hope we get lucky.

Adios, Facebook

Decided to terminate my Facebook account of about 6 months tonight "with extreme prejudice" (as a judicial term, that means that a case will not be heard again by a lower court). It's been heading that way for some time now because that site is very narcissistic, negative, and a time-drainer. That does not include everyone on that site, mind you. But in a better world, it would be used as many of my 'friends' did to write about something good that happened, post pictures, etc. Too many people seem to use it to vent their anger. There's a time to evaluate things and ask "Do I need this in my life?"

The feather that broke the camel's back was just a slight run-in with someone whom I like less and less each time I meet her in real life... and her little dog too! In all other respects, I wish her very happy. But I don't have much time for irrational, self-centered people who think they know it all, and like an old T-shirt of mine read, "I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person." This kind of situation does not happen often in my life. I do not have a problem interacting with the vast majority of people. It's a very select percent that deserve what my uncle calls "Dufresne Diplomacy." And even then, I remain civil.

"Tell the truth, then run like hell!" --- George Seldes

21 August 2009

The bathroom has been pretty much done for about a week now. Nice to have running water back, that's for sure. Haven't had the wherewithal (or recharged batteries in the camera) to take some pictures yet, but I will.

Have been a little under the weather with what I believe may have been a slight case of food poisoning. This was along with several other people sitting at the same table with similar symptoms. Those people who didn't eat the suspected food didn't get ill. The reasons for my suspicions are logical and numerous (and like so many other events in this world not 100% certainty), as are my reasons for not typing out all of the details. A little achy in the joints but am starting to feel better. Unlike several others, I did not get a fever or have the degree of symptoms, probably attributable to a good immune system and a diet including lots of garlic. That's the nature of these things --- with seven people there can be slightly different sets of symptoms. It is a bit of the control freak in me that, for this reason, I like to prepare the food I'm eating, or know the person who prepared the food. Any restaurant --- from the Waldorf-Astoria to Hell's Kitchen to Joe's hot dog stand carries the potential for these kinds of problems. I really do not intend to offend anyone who may be reading this and I will not be going into specific details in a public forum. I am not looking to blame anyone, am not holding grudges, nor accusing any party of being bad hosts just because a virus showed up uninvited. It happens. It flushes out of the system. We move on.

The power company changed the transformer at the top of the telephone pole in the front lawn. I had noticed several weeks ago that a red light appeared on the transformer and noted that I'd never seen that before. The power went out last week at about 11 p.m., and I woke up at 5 a.m. to yellow flashing lights and the engines of three big power company trucks --- two equipped with cherry-picker hydraulic lift systems. A spiffy new light gray transformer was up on the pole. One of the guys in the cherry picker took out a long pole, turned up a switch and the electronics in the house came back to life with a chorus of beeps along with a loud whir of the central vacuum system. It had been one of those hot, humid nights, but we made it through all right by trapping in the remnants of the air conditioned... air, but if it had taken much longer the windows would've been opened. I cannot wait for this most recent humid spell to end, as the weather personalities say it will early next week. Heat can be tolerated. The worst thing about this weather is that layer of sweaty, grimy buildup from the humidity (caused by sweat not evaporating) that doesn't go away until rinsed in a shower.

Elsewhere, the garden is progressing pretty well. I banked a few quart-sized freezer bags of kale for the winter. The cucumbers are now hitting their stride, leaving me eating about two per day (not complaining!) and we still have enough to give away to neighbors. The yellow squash is rolling along, but the zucchini isn't doing very well. Only two plants have survived thus far (even with trying to stagger-plant some more from seeds "guaranteed to grow!") and they aren't showing much sign of fruit. One root that came apart had been penetrated by the squash borers. Very disappointing. Tomatoes, though, are starting to come around. We'll be seeing more of them ripen in the coming weeks. Have started thinking about putting up some concrete-anchored posts or poles for next year's cucumbers to climb up a mesh work and to try some upside-down tomato plants. It's always such a chore to keep them upright in the cages; perhaps it's time to try out this fad and use gravity to our advantage. We shall see.

11 August 2009

The bathroom painting took a little longer than expected because it required a second coat, and especially in the bathroom it's good to put that extra layer there. We went with Supreme Green at Sherwin-Williams. That's really the only place to go for paint in my experience. Have used Behr, Glidden, Dutch Boy, etc. and none of them were as easy to work with as S-W. Well, I lied, actually. The Rustoleum brand (both spray and roller/brush paints) gets a high rating as well... but they're not for interior walls.

Did get the toilet in, a day behind the mental schedule of Thursday last. Just wanted to give that paint extra drying time for a full cure before placing things against it. The toilet install was relatively easy, though. The hardest part was caulking along the bottom rim, what with the lack of good angles with the caulking gun and having to clean the excess away. The toilet was christened that night.

Speaking of christening, we attended my niece's baptism down in Southington on Sunday at St. Aloysius. We ourselves are not Catholic (and personally speaking, I try to steer clear of organized religion), so it is somewhat amusing to watch the ritual of Sunday Mass. It was also somewhat amusing to see "FUCI" carved into the left rearmost pew --- there were the beginnings of the K diagonals, though faint. We pointed it out to an usher. Otherwise, my cousin down from western NY was denied communion because she is not Catholic. That policy just... seems very un-Christ-like. And again, this is but one of a million examples why organized religion isn't my bag. The more people brought into any group, collective intelligence, efficiency and dedication to the original purpose suffers --- rules are adopted to suit the particular whims of a majority or passionate vocal minority of members, core beliefs are staked out a la carte, intra-church cliques appear, the Us vs.Them mentality forms between different church branches (as much as Christians will usually deny, deny, deny the extent of this simple fact) and before you know it, the church is more of a social organization than anything else. As for me, I know what I know, I know what I believe, I can conceive the immensity of what humanity cannot possibly know, and I try to reconcile a little sense from it. Anyway, after the baptism was a lunch at a local restaurant and it was nice to see some family members we don't get a chance to meet up with very often.

Sunday night, I saw my Buffalo Bills get faked out of their shoes early in the NFL's Hall of Fame game, the first game of the preseason. But there were some positive showings, including Terrell Owens getting two nice catches in the starting offense's brief appearance. The pair of rookie offensive linemen projected to start were raw at times but showed promise. Especially on the play where Andy Levitre was shoved backward into the Edwards's face... and yet, to his credit, he stayed upright and bought his QB an extra second when many veterans the team has had in the past 10 years would've fallen down or morphed into a turnstile. You've got to appreciate a lineman who has the mentality that even if something goes badly, he won't let a defense have a free shot on the QB. Too many times, from players making enough money to make you think they'd actually care ($7M +), they stood and watched as their QB got pummeled.

Anyway, got the pedestal sink in position last night, and lag-bolted to the floor and wall. Need to do some jury-rigging with the drain pipes (we want to try to hide as much as we can inside the pedestal) and connect the water lines, and it'll be good to go. Opened the mirror I picked up at Lowe's a while back, and there are some dark splotches from where the glue is on the backside. They've faded since it's been out of the box, but still quite noticeable. My fault. I should have opened the box at the store and looked. It was on clearance when we got it, so I don't know what their return policy will be... Will try anyway if the spots don't go away. 'Clearance' shouldn't mean 'Defective.'

"I'm privately convinced that most of the really bad writing
the world's ever seen has been done under the influence
of what's called inspiration. Writing is very hard work
and knowing what you're doing the whole time."
--- Shelby Foote

Cherry Tomatoes

I took this photo a couple of years ago with the idea that the cluster looked similar to those big drag-racing traffic lights: red, yellow, green. The tomatoes (cherry, Roma and Celebrity varieties) this year aren't growing nearly as well as they usually do. Some people are saying that the deluge of rains we've been having since spring has contributed to a tomato blight. The leaf bunches have progressively (from the bottom up) turned yellowish, then brown spotting, and then they are sere. It may be that with the frequent rain, the roots haven't developed as they normally do. Then again, as my grandfather --- who was a farmer --- taught us long ago, I plant tomatoes deep so the roots are pretty much forced to spread.

Now, this is not to say that there's no tomato production. Just, not as many and not as full as they always have been. Connecticut grown tomatoes are some of the best tasting you'll find, with that rich, concentrated classic tomato smell and taste. The ones available in the supermarket from California or Florida have absolutely no taste. It's like eating solidified red water pouches, and essentially that's the science as well. What makes for the smell and taste is the vitamins and minerals from the soil; if these are lacking, the plant will make do with what it can get, but the fruit quality suffers.

I guess I'll be able to make a diagnosis when I pull them up in the fall. The findings are always interesting.

4 August 2009

A couple of nature notes.... Yesterday morning, our resident great blue heron was down by the water in the boat launch next door. It had caught a catfish that was about 10 inches, and was working away at it. Thing was, the fish was just too big for the heron to swallow whole (as herons do). So, the poor fella whose cup ranneth over was left to stabbing at the catfish over and over with its beak, and flexing its throat, trying to swallow again, then repeating this process a few times. You could almost see the frustration on the heron's gestures, not knowing how he'd actually eat this thing that was just too big to fit down his gullet, but not wanting to give up on a kill that he'd already devoted about 45 minutes on. Then, someone came down the boat launch and the heron flew off.

Today, just about an hour ago, I was kayaking out on the lake and saw what looked like a turtle head popping out of the water, so I paddled over to investigate. Most of the time in these encounters the turtle is long gone, but the stealth of the kayak (my second time in it) might not have scared it. I got to within about a foot of the creature and it just floated there, as if in suspended animation. Its head was about the size of my fist and its body/shell was roughly the perimeter of an elongated toilet seat. I've heard stories of larger turtles on this lake, but this is the biggest I've ever seen firsthand.

In bathroom work news, I grouted the tile floor yesterday. Spray painted the radiator with appliance epoxy (you should not use regular paint for baseboard, as it cuts down on the effectiveness of the heat dispersion), which has to dry for about 9 hours to handle (fully dry in 24 hours). Plan on priming the walls with some Kilz tomorrow morning, sealing the grout in the afternoon, then painting the walls tomorrow night.

2 August 2009

Further to my previous entry, today I mapped out and set the tile on the bathroom floor. It went fairly smoothly, though it did take a little longer than I thought it would. A lot of the delay was in cutting some ~3/4" tiles to run along the wall. Baseboard molding was be just shy of reaching the full tile, so if you're going to go part of the way, you may as well keep going and fill the whole space. Had a devil of a time with an old tile cutter / snapper. No accuracy at all with that thing, but it did the job, I suppose. Will now wait for the adhesive to fully dry --- I'll give it 36 hours --- and then start grouting on Monday morning, which is coincidentally, my birthday. Will probably prime and paint the walls on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, if all goes according to schedule, in go the toilet and sink and a couple more items on the punch list.

"You're born into this world naked, cold, wet and hungry.
Then it gets worse." --- Unknown

31 July 2009

For about the past three weeks, I've been doing a bit of remodeling in the bathroom. Took down some old linoleum from the ceiling (don't ask) that was curling badly, and put up some tileboard comprised of 4x4 gloss white tiling on top of what looks like the same material as regular pegboard. The ad copy says it's optimal for use in bathrooms, over showers, etc. Installed two new bath fans --- a light/fan over the shower and a light/fan/heat over the main bath area --- so we are now moving 180 cubic feet of air per minute ! Had a little trouble with the wiring for these but once I figured out with an AC tester that one of the white wires was being used as a hot wire (it was never marked as such with black electrical tape per code), it was pretty routine. Working up in the cramped attic recesses was a chore, though, and hot.

So yes. Three weeks. Not quite what I imagined, but we've had some delay with the continuing rain (which means you can't cut the tileboard on the table saw outside) and the continuing pattern of having to deal with some of the realities of having had a Dutch carpenter, for measuring and cutting purposes. Other than that, it was small preparation work; small but necessary, doing what I can where/when I can. Spackling some holes in the walls, some larger than others. Took out some bad Sheetrock near the shower head and replaced it with Durock ® cement board. Put up the new shower head and curtain rod. Three trips to Lowe's / Home Depot, which usually turns into half a day in itself. I swear, shopping for materials is more draining than doing the actual work.

Yesterday, I picked out the new toilet and pedestal sink and faucet, wax ring, stainless steel flex tubing... but before any of that comes the white 12"x12" tile that is comprised of a mesh of 2"x2" matte tiles. They were the closest consistency I could find to the tileboard. I want to stick as closely to the vision as I can... you know, the one where you can close your eyes and see how things should be, should look, should function. The idea was to go with something more permanent, more solid than the linoleum or vinyl flooring. Took out the vanity sink tonight. Will take out the toilet tomorrow morning and get going on mapping out the tile. One of the nice things about the 2"x2" grid work is that when you get to the toilet pipe and the sink drain, you can cut out a few squares rather than have to fire up a tile saw, hole saw, or use the tile nippers. The area to be tiled isn't that large --- about 5'x5' but this is my first experience with tile. Seems pretty straightforward, though, and I have done my fair share of masonry work, so I'm not too worried.