28 July 2010

Reported for jury duty this morning, which was a new experience in the thrilling brand of the American court system. It consisted of 6 hours sitting on my bum on a hard oak pew, watching other business-casual-clad citizens answer questions like where they and their spouses work, whether they can be impartial, etc. And in the end, I never had to say a word and literally have nothing to show for those 6 hours, not even the proverbial "I spent 6 hours waiting in jury duty and all I got was this lousy T-shirt" T-shirt. We got some loose parameters of the civil case being tried, none of which I will be going into here or elsewhere, per instructions. Will see whether I get re-called for another case at a later date.

This episode put a bit of a crunch on an upcoming project, as I didn't know whether I would be available on such-and-such dates. But that's how it goes in the functioning of the 6th and 7th amendments. In a world where some governments don't hesitate to presume guilt, lop off body parts or simply let injustice reign free... if a loss of 6 hours (with meager compensation) is my worst problem I have no cause for complaint.

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Canned and processed some of our garden cucumbers a couple of weeks ago, and today tried some of the non-water bath fridge batch for the first time. Not too bad. A slightly strong garlic taste, but they are undoubtedly dill pickles. Tried several different slicing methods in the batch --- chips, spears and so-called "sandwich stacker" cuts. We have more pickles now than we'll likely use in the next year (which is the shelf life for these). Really getting a handle on preserving. Might try some of the green beans next. Then again, I might not... we might just eat them all fresh.

"My Repair"

I was really pleased when I first heard this song, a duet of The Noises and Brandi Carlile, last year. It might be better than any of the collaborations from her most recent album. Brandi's oft-dominating voice combines with Jason Scavone's in a great harmony. It is a little muted here --- played in a live venue --- compared to the studio recording and there are a couple of misplaced pauses or too-drawn-out notes, but it is nonetheless a nice performance. It also helps that it's a great little tune in a lyrical sense, with a catchy, short rhyming scheme.

Hot and Bothered

The thermometer has been in the high-80 / low-90 degree range for the past few days here, with accompanying dew points in the 70s (read: oppressive humidity). Too much of this type of weather has a tendency to wear on my nerves, and doubtless this is true for many people.

But, last night giving the ol' middle finger to the weather, I took Ruff on about a half-mile walk-run-walk and then put some rib eyes and squash on the grill. 'Course, the grilling was full of caveats --- Step C needed to be done before Step B, and Step A couldn't be done until after Step C, and Step D.... This kind of situation is tolerable to me, regularly, but the closeness of the air has a way of bringing down the boiling point, so to speak. But here we are, I got through it. Ruff got some water, panted for a while, and had a nap on the cold basement floor. I took a cool shower, we have the air conditioner on, and all is well, until I go outside again.

Ruff is 6 months old today. Still being debated whether he'll get the big snip at the vet. I really it would be best, but the other point is whether we could use him for breeding. Having helped raise three litters of GSPs during my late teen years, I can honestly say that I am not in any hurry to do that again. With a male, though, that isn't the consideration. My argument is that breeders typically don't go outside of their own circle in selecting pairings and they use dogs that are well tested, so it's probably a moot point anyway. To be sure, one doesn't go into breeding to make money --- it's nearly even-steven money-wise, and then factor in the opportunity cost of the many hours of effort. But to avoid any potential accidents in this area of puppy-making, I think it best to have Ruff neutered. The running wisdom also adds that neutering helps to calm dogs a bit, which, given the last few weeks' behavior (chewing things that aren't his to chew, including two electrical cords (they were unplugged)), is desirable.

Cutting Hair in the Kitchen

By James Dufresne

The buzzing of the electric clippers
makes me think of my first-generation Dutch
grandmother (we called her Beppa)
cutting the hair of my cousins in the kitchen
at the farm in Western New York.

Far removed from those days. Cousins
now estranged through family feuds,
busy with jobs or school, and
now tending what remains through the ether.
I take out heavy mirrors and try to get my bearings;

In the reflection, left is right, up is down.  I can hear
the thick accent say, "Yimmy! Your turn, Yimmy!"
and the saving graces of my father, who stubbornly
explained to this equally stubborn, weighty queen bee
that our hair was cut back in Connecticut.

The times of the home haircut have returned ---
no need to spend $20 for a man's crew. A few up-swipes
with a No. 2, topped with a No. 6. A touch of the
infamous Dutch thrift carries on in me. And
don't cut hair over carpet. That is what I learned there.