Oldfool

Old Fools Journal: What's That Noise

2010-07-28T17:21:00.005-05:00

My ears do not hear that noise as good as the camera does. At first I thought it was just dry bearings in one of the pedals but the pedals are fine and have been eliminated without a doubt. I have gone over everything else and so far no luck.

It only happens when I am peddling and not when coasting. I have checked the chain and chain guard but no problem there. I'll check the bottom bracket tomorrow. but that is all new and unless I left a lizard in there I don't see how it could be.

The maddening thing is I can't duplicate it in the shop. It only happens under load on the road.

I just hope its not in the rear hub as I'm not looking forward to looking in there. I really don't want to know how that part works but since that is the most complicated and the most inaccessible part "Murphy's Law" comes in to play. I'm probably destined to become a Sturmey Archer 3 speed expert. Right now I'm just a pert.

Old Fools Journal: The Dog, The Walking Stick and the Way to Stop A Bicycle Quickly

2010-07-27T17:20:00.005-05:00

The new old bike in full dress. I have a temporary basket for the front should I need it but this bike combines fun and utility so it will mostly get left behind.

I think I'm finished setting up the new old bike. I have changed over the rack and folding baskets on the back along with the tool bag. The bell, rear view mirror and computer were not changed over when I test rode it the other day. I was kind of lost without the bell and the mirror. The bell because it tells a couple of the dogs it's me and the the little kids like it. The mirror because I don't have eyes in the back of my head. I did find that since I last rode without a mirror that I have gained some flexibility in my neck and can turn my head far enough to see behind me both ways now. What a pleasant surprise. I wonder how that happened.
The seat was the real time consumer. Even though I find the bike comfortable the way it is I like the seat set back so that I am not right over the pedals.This part is made
from this.

The cargo bike, the Schwinn and my folder all have the seat set back three inches. I thought I wouldn't on this bike but I tried it and it is much more comfortable set back. The fabrication of the part that makes it possible took some time and metal work. It has been so hot and humid that I am really limited to when and how long I can be out there in that Turkish bath I call the bike shed. The seat itself is too wide for me so I'm using the seat from the Schwinn which is just right.

So I set off to fetch some dog grub for the dog pack from one of the local stores and return some magazines to the library. I ride through a modest quiet little neighborhood on this route that has a few short little dead end streets that I sometime ride down just to aggravate the ankle biters that run free in violation of the law. Of course they came out in a pack like the cowardly sons of bitches they are (that is not cursing it's what they are). I was riding dead slow and went for my weapon (walking stick) with the intention of making the bravest one less brave. I fumbled, lost control of my shillelagh and jammed it into my spokes. It was a very effective brake. The bravest of the brave was so close the he ran into the bike, scared himself and took off, his cowering cohorts right on his heels. I could hear them barking from deep under the house trailer where they took refuge. Brave Sons of Bitches indeed.

One spoke very slightly bent but the wheel appears to still be true. I will take it off and check it the next time I can stand to be in the shed. (It has been checked and it is fine)

This bicycle rides sweet. I wonder what the chances of finding three old bicycles that fit me for free are. Pretty long I'd wager.

The long suffering and abused 35 year old Schwinn is in the tear down phase for a rebuild. It's going to be better than ever. I have yellow paint but I may paint it red to make it a little sassier. I do like ladies in red.
Road Hazard, there be horses in these parts.
Essential bike tool.

Old Fools Journal: Warning! This Is Not Nice.

2010-07-25T09:50:00.002-05:00

Does Anyone Remember The Exxon Oil Spill?

It's been 21 year and 4 months since the Exxon Valdez destroyed the fishing in Alaska and they don't have to pay for it. Our government sees to that. The environment and the people there were decimated and they still have not been compensated as if they(we) could be. Exxon has spent billions to not pay for its negligence.

The State of Alaska still loves oil as a whole but not the people who live from the land. Because of the money they will suck on that pipe until it kills them.

So BP is supposed to pay 20 billion dollars for their damages in the gulf of Mexico. Believe me it will never happen. They lie and the government will help them to weasel out of it. They say they have paid 4 billion already and I truly doubt that. They say that the safety of the cleanup workers is paramount but I know that is a lie. Those people are bought and discarded like a boxes of Kleenex.The news media loves it because they have a disaster to talk about and as a group they don't want it to go away (it sells cars). I'm sure that individually they think different but as a group they need disaster to survive but survive for what.
BP is a sleaze ball company and right now they are at the top of the sleaze ball heap but there are others to take its place on a moments notice.

I have known hard drug addicts and they don't ever get over it. They might stop using but the vast majority will use until it kills them. We humans will keep mainlining oil until it kills us all. It shouldn't take long and I may actually live long enough to see it (not something I look forward to). Unfortunately many other beautiful living things will go before us and we'll get to see that as well.

People with the money that live above all this will be affected as well as those of us who live in it and with it. The ignorant will wonder what happened and try to pin the blame on someone else. Man is only an animal and will go the way of all animals in due time. Meanwhile man is helping the animals go.
Things have a way of evening out.

I think I'll go take drugs now. I've obviously lived too long.

Pictures are from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. I decided not to put more because these few made me sick to my stomach. I apologize for being weak.

Old Fools Journal: How To Waste Three Days

2010-07-23T13:28:00.009-05:00

PCLinuxOS

Just when I thought I had this computer figured out I made the mistake of upgrading my operating system. There went three days. I don't use Microsoft of any kind so I can't blame it on them. I use a Linux compilation call PCLinuxOS. You can find it on the interntwebtubespipes. It wasn't its fault either. The fault was mine.

I have been using this system since 2005 and it wasn't the first Linux I tried. I sampled six or eight compilations but they were all lacking in some way or other. I had gotten used to Microsoft windows to the point that I could help others. I gained my skill and meager knowledge because it was always rolling over and playing dead. By burning incense, mumbling incantations and shaking my rattle I always seemed to coax it back to life. In the end I was reinstalling every six months and that was getting old. I fiddled with it more than I used it.

The problem with the Linux compilations were varied but what I wanted was something like MS-DOS with a shell over it that looked like windows, was intuitive and that I could use without having to work on it all the time. PCLOS was it. It looked like MS windows and whatever I did on MS windows I did on it and it almost always worked. When it didn't it was either easy to figure out or there was online help. One other little perk is it was free. So I went for it.

The problem started this time when the latest version came out. I was using the 2009.1 version and the 2010.07 version was offered so I downloaded it and installed it and my PC rejected it. It acted like it would work then it wouldn't. Fortunately I had the old system on another partition so I could keep working while I tried to figure this thing out. I tried re-downloading, burning another copy and re-installing it again to no avail. Meanwhile I was having trouble with my remaining installation and the repository where I get my fixes and updates rejected me. Panic city. I downloaded Kubuntu and it worked but was klunky, Ubuntu but it was like trying to instantly learn a foreign language. Finally I decided to install Ubuntu and learn to use it.
My desktop, Riggs Library, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
I could live in there.

Talk about an exercise in frustration. I was used to the KDE graphical interface and this was something that for me was just not intuitive. I could get online but some of the programs that I know it had I just could not figure out how to access. It would access all my files that I had on PCLOS partitions and get online so that was good. Then I tried to work with it and it just did not feel good so...

Screw this. I reinstalled an old copy of PCLOS 2009.1 (20 minutes) and resolved to use it without updates and several apps that I had been using. OK there's two days gone. Then I downloaded PCLOS with the lxde graphical interface and ran it as a live cd and it worked fine which told me that it was the new version of KDE that was killing me. You see my PC likes KDE 3.5 but throws up when fed KDE4. So KDE for me has been fixed until it's broke.

So finally I went to the forums, something I should have done three days ago, thinking that I couldn't be the only one having this problem (no, really?). I found the answer posted on May 8 in three minutes. I guess you could say three days and three minutes. Three days of beating my head against the wall and three minutes of thinking. I wish I was inclined to try thinking first.

I apologize to the geeks at PCLOS that developed and give away this wonderful operating system for all the cursing, wailing, gnashing of teeth, expressing doubts about their ancestry and taking of their name in vain. I'm crawling back on hands and knees begging forgiveness and please take me back. I'll be good.

Now for something a little lighter. Here is a couple that put real meaning into "Pole Dancing". If it doesn't want to play right click and select watch on youtube.

Now try to flush those sexual fantasies you just had and come back down to earth.

This made me feel really good just knowing that this can be done but I have feelings of inadequacy knowing I can not. I do like dancing but I'm not a big fan. I found this to be most beautiful.

I like to ride my bicycle, I like to ride my bike. I did go for a ride and I can't wait to tell you of the dog, the walking stick and how to stop a bicycle really quick.

Old Fools Journal: I Want To Ride My Bicycle, I Want To Ride My Bike

2010-07-20T22:50:00.003-05:00

This is how I felt this morning so I did.

Some of the public didn't seem pleased but then you have to cram FUN down some peoples throat. The behind the scenes video is good too. 160 people and 4 months to spring this "spontaneous" production on the unsuspecting public. Why doesn't this ever happen to me. I guess it's just as well that it doesn't because like the barefoot boy watching the summer circus parade through town I'd likely follow them like the children did the Pied Piper

I started changing the racks and other paraphernalia from the Schwinn to the New Old Bike yesterday. The Schwinn's last maintenance was the summer of 2005 so it's due. The rattle can paint job needs a little touch up as well. I didn't finish moving everything but I did enough so the there were no lose ends. So this morning inspired by this video I went out for an hour to see how I like it. Believe me an hour was enough today. It's back in the shed now for tweaking.

I think I mentioned that the bike is a full fendered Free Spirit made in Taiwan with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed. The date on the Sturmey Archer is 1987. Before I started putting all the stuff on it the weight was 31 pounds (14k). When I went out today it was 41 pounds (18.6k). I'm not worried about weight just curious about how much additional weight it cost to be able to carry even more weight.

I visited my neigh -bors heh,heh.

Then I had my meager lunch.
Tasteless foreign shrimp (south American probably. Damn BP anyway) but the home made shrimp sauce and the homegrown tomato make up for it. Finished with a slice of sourdough with pure no added anything peanut butter for desert and a glass of beer. Oh how I suffer.

Old Fools Journal: Breathing Underwater

2010-07-19T22:00:00.002-05:00

This weekend was so humid the going outdoors was like breathing underwater. At least yesterday it was. Today it's raining so it's cooler and the the air is more satisfying to take in. I have been trying to get back to riding my bike at least a little bit everyday but for the most part I don't find riding in the rain all that much fun. Sometimes it is but most times not. Besides riding down the street in the rain screeching in my highest wicked witch voice "I'm melting, I'm melting" makes people look at me sideways.
Seemed like a good time to finish some sewing projects that I've been putting off for a year or so (conservation of energy) and to catch up on my reading. So I transformed my hovel into a sewing room and went to work. I had more stuff to do than a thought on Kilts that went back to my first one. I put in about 6 hours at the machine and hand sewing and still didn't get finished.

The surprising thing to me about sewing is how messy it is. As you can see I have the iron and the ironing board out and a couple of sewing kits plus the machine. Sewing with a machine is wasteful of thread as I always have lots of thread ends and tangles I've had to clear away after I screw up. The floor ends up littered with thread and scraps of cloth not to mention the wet crap I track in when its raining.

Sewing is, like working on bicycles, very satisfying for some reason. It can also be frustrating as in when I start to get tired and the machine and I have a disagreement. Sewing machines are like computers. You have to do everything exactly right. I am happy to say that today I mostly did.

Anyway I got it all done including ironing the shirts, one silk, one rayon and one cotton. What a pain in the ass. Oh well it's work I can do nekkid standing in front of the air conditioner and a fan.

Old Fools Journal: Rack Hack

2010-07-18T20:29:00.001-05:00

Whilst out and about on my usual Friday Walkabout I ran into this gentleman on his way to the store I think. I didn't ask and he didn't give his name but this is apparently his primary transportation as in no car and no drivers license. I liked the fact that he had a red shirt, a red Schwinn and and a rack hack.
He said that hanging his tool box from the handle bars made the bike handle funny so he slapped the rack together from what he had. It worked and he saw no reason to improve it.
I personally think that is a wise move. I like to think of it as conservation of energy. It's also a good example of re-purposing things instead of sending them to the dump.

I hope to run into him again as I think he is a kindred spirit.

Old Fools Journal: I'm Not Making Any Long Range Plans

2010-07-16T18:20:00.001-05:00

I'm not what I call a "Doomsdayer" but having been a student of the massive events this universe is capable of I do pay attention to the possibility's of catastrophe. It's happened before on Earth and there is no reason it shouldn't happen again. Read this report and the supporting reports to see what I'm talking about.

This is not a chicken little "the sky is falling, the sky is falling" article but is more a "it could happen" article and given mans greed and lack of forethought about taking care of his nest I think will happen sooner or later. The best part is there is not a damn thing anyone can do about it so no work is required.

Anyway it's a good excuse to go for a morning bike ride then eat whatever I want washed down with beer for "The End Is At Hand". I may use this excuse several times.

Now that the oil has stopped flowing it is back to business as usual. It will all be soon forgotten. Or maybe not.

Old Fools Journal: Numbers

2010-07-14T18:15:00.001-05:00

Cayenne, my first attempt at growing these.

One of my pet peeves is how politicians, statisticians and car salesmen toss numbers around. It's not so much the number but it's the way it's said to cover up how much it really is. With politicians it was first indignantly using the term "hundreds of thousands of dollars" as if it were a horrendous amount but when they got use to that it was "millions". "Hundreds of thousands" no longer sounded so big and in fact five hundred thousand became "point 5 mil" as if it were a minuscule amount. At first millions seemed a lot but then to make it sound not so big they would put a little number like 2 or 3 with an only in front of that and say "mil" instead of "million so it became an insignificant amount as in "only 2 or 3 mil.

Now it's "billions". I doubt that any politician has any clue as to the difference between a million and a billion. Most people don't so if you preface that "with only (insert small number here)" it doesn't seem like much. Concentrate on the number 2 or 3 and (pay no attention to the man behind the curtain) underemphasis the word billion. Billion is just a bunch of zeros anyway.

The best example I can give of the difference between a million (a very large number) and a billion (a very, very, very, large number) is to do it in seconds. One million seconds rounded off is a little more than 11 and ½ days. One billion is one thousand millions in most of the world but there is an argument that it is a million millions. For the sake of this argument I use what the bank calls a million which is one thousand millions. One billion seconds is 31.7 years plus the leap days I didn't count.

One million seconds = 11.57 days
One billion seconds = 31.7 years (more that 11,574 days)

What I'm getting at is there is a vast difference between a million and a billion even before you tack on the little number in front of it. Now trillions are being tossed around as if it is a large number. I just calculated that in years and I think I burst a blood vessel in my brain.

A million dollars in one dollar bills stacked is only 43 inches tall. A trillion dollars in one dollar bills is over 678 and ⅔ miles (1092km) tall. I'd like to see that. Seems like a big difference to me.

Now days when an automobile is advertised on TV or radio and prices are mentioned then it goes something like this. "Only eighteen nine fifty" but never "eighteen thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars". Sometimes they'll say "under 30". What that means is it is twenty nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine dollars and ninety nine cents before tax license and dealer prep. You'll never find a price in print in any auto advertisement.

Housing is always "affordable" as in "affordable 250's". Thousands is never said out loud. I heard one the other day that said "economical 135". They left adding the thousands up to the listener.

I'm not even going to talk about statisticians that swing numbers around wildly like a double edged four foot sword. Such as, .0016666 of the population of the USA was killed today in random drive by shootings. All the victims were children. Doesn't sound like much to me but if you piled the bodies up in the town square it would be around 50,000 children and it would be a big pile. You might need several town squares. "Only 40 to 50 thousand deaths are caused by automobiles a year" is another good one. I like the use of "only". They never tell how big the pile will be. If you piled the cars up with the bodies still in them that would really be a big pile.

I try to relay this kind of information to my grand-kids but it's hopeless. Seems the common perception is that if you survive to be an old man it's probably because you're stupid and don't know anything about the real world. That's by the adults, the kids still think I'm kind of smart but they'll get over that.
I suppose you wonder what that all has to to do with Cayenne chilies. Nothing actually but these two little bottles do. I put a mixture of ripe and green chilies in each bottle and the dark one has balsamic vinegar and the lighter one is apple cider vinegar. The bottles are about 8 inches (20 cm) tall and I got them at the thrift store cheap.

I've done this before and I keep a bottle of jalapeños and another of garlic in white vinegar on hand in SWMBO's kitchen. That's pretty much the only salad dressing I use. This is my first time using cayenne and I'm really curious to see how it works out with these two vinegars having used only white vinegar before. I use cayenne a lot in cooking. Sometimes a lot (chili con carne) and sometimes a little to add zing without heat.

If I can figure out how to dry them in this humid climate I'll get enough chili powder and red chili flakes (for pizza topping) off that one plant to hold me until next summer.

I have to go wash out my eye now since I just rubbed it with the finger I used to hold the chili when I slit the sides and stuffed them into the bottle. Ouch.

Old Fools Journal: New Old Bike, Dirt Daubers and One Big Fly

2010-07-12T15:20:00.001-05:00

This is a good riding bicycle. It usually takes a lot of tweaking to make a bike comfortable for me but this one is better than 90% right out of the shop.
It was completely taken apart right down to the the last nut and washer. All worn parts and parts that were too corroded to clean were replaced. Everything that required lube was lubed. One cable was replaced but the others were OK. The chain can be made usable again but not by me. It's just too much work.
I did no painting. All rust was either removed (it will come back), treated or converted as on this chromed fender. Paint is only surface beauty anyway. The real beauty is in the form or utility.

The only thing I forgot was coating the seat post with anti-seize but I need to adjust it anyway so it'll get done before it has a chance to become "one with the bicycle".

It's going right back into the shed as I have a old skate board that I have used as a rack in past and I think it is perfect for a custom rack on this bike. Skate boards are incredibly strong and no heavier than a steel rack. It'll be posted here when I get it worked out.

This bike was a freebie but to be usable it needed a few things. Tires from the hardware store $18.00, new chain $6.00, spokes $23.00, brake cable $2.50, brake pads ($5.00) all other things came from my stock. A seat with seat post I bought at the thrift store some time ago for $1.50, oxalic acid for removing rust, lube and rust treatment. Most normal people wouldn't have that stuff laying around. Seems I've got about $65.00 dollars in it and a lot of labor. That's not a bad price for a really sweet riding old time three speed.

Three-speeds is all the gears I'll ever need. I'll think I'll ride it for a while and tear down the Schwinn for an overhaul and repaint. It's been over six years since I did that last so it's about time.
Meanwhile the dirt daubers were hard at work. It only took a few hours for this nest to be built. This is the back of the main workbench in the shed and right in front of my face. It wasn't there, then it was. Dirt daubers are buzzing around all the time so I don't much pay attention to them except when they buzz my face and become a nuisance then they are done for. Before I use any given bicycle I have to check under the seat and fenders for nest. I have even found them on the chain.This guy showed up for cocktails at happy hour last evening. I believe it is the biggest fly I've ever seen and I've seen some really big horse flies. Fortunately it seemed to not be interested in us. It was a fast moving fly. I wonder what it would weigh dressed out and bar-b-cued.

Old Fools Journal: Roasting My Chili

2010-07-09T14:00:00.007-05:00

One of the grocery stores I haunt had a special on chili verde's the other day. One pound for $1.19. They are usually $2.99 a pound so usally I only buy a couple at a time. When I can get them in bulk it takes very little more time to prepare them than it does for just a few.

These are called Anaheim peppers or chilis in Southern California but they are really Chili Verde's. They are usually mild on the heat index but if grown where they can cross pollinate with a hot variety of chile can give you a little surprise. They have a distinct flavor of their own. I like other chili's such as Ancho, Pequin (especially pickled), Chili Arbol, Serrano, Cayenne and Jalopeño but for cooking and preparing chile's as a main dish these are my favorite. New Mexico is famous for this variety and those grown around the Hatch area are the best.

The skin is tough and needs to be removed.
Removal tool.

This is my method of choice. I love the way the skin crackles when the torch hits it and the smell of roasting chili is exquisite. When finish you have something that looks like this. If you picked them up before they cooled you also have burnt fingers.
I take them to the sink and under cool water scrub them gently with a nylon scrubber. The blacken skin comes off the chili easily but sticks to everything in sight except the compost bucket or the trash. It is embedded in the scrub pad, on your hands, on you belly if you do this nekked, if you don't do this nekked then on your clothes forever. If you wash your clothes with it on them it will still be there but it will have multiplied and be on everything in the wash and on the wash tube ready to multiply some more and be on the following washes. Take the time to get it all down the sink.
Take a paring knife and cut around the chile just under the stem end. This one is cut all the way through but the seeds are all attached to the stem and if you just cut through the flesh you can remove most of it in one fell swoop. (fell swoop=all at once with a flourish)
Moving the stem with the seeds attached to one side cut around the inside to release the seed attachments.
A plate full of goodness these. The one with the red end is why they were on sale as they were starting to ripen. I cut that red end off this mild pepper and popped it into my mouth. Delectable. For a moment. Then the "Revenge of the Mutant Chili" (soon in theaters everywhere) set in. This chili was one hot mama. I ate the rest of it in an omelet and as I got more to the pointy end it was less hot but I still had tears when I finished. I'll probably hear from it again tomorrow.

The remainder of the chili's were put in a freezer bag (the bag inside the cereal box that the cereal is in) laid flat so that I can take them out one or two at a time. They will be use in soup (chile verde instead of chile ancho), for chili relleno (stuffed with cheese or something) and omelets.

When we lived in Baja Sur, Mexico our next door neighbor Emma knowing my love for chilli relleno would bring over surprises. So one day she brought this beautiful puffed up fluffy dish over which there was a cream sauce with pomegranate seeds. It was stuffed with a mystery stuffing that she would never reveal. It could have been catfish heads and guts for all I cared. It was the best I've ever had and I have tried to duplicate it since with no luck.

Old Fools Journal: The Bicycle Werks and some Pretty Things

2010-07-07T21:00:00.013-05:00

36 brand new spokes. Ain't they pretty. I've never bought so many at one time before.
All of them are 2 mm too long so it's grinder time. The one on the left is the gauge. I ended up doing three at a time so it went quickly.
The Old Fool in the Bicycle Werks.
Hair clasp to keep hair out of work : Dollar General 12 for a dollar.
Glasses: Dollar Store. One dollar
Shirt: None. It ain't cold. In fact it's hot and humid and raining. I should be working on an Ark.
Kilt: By Old Fool. Very light weight polyester camo, reverse kingussie style with cargo pockets hung at the waist and belt loops.
Stockings: None
Shoes: Red clogs. Family dollar. 3 dollars American.
That old fool is the height of fashion.
Finished wheel happy old man. In my reverie I found lacing spokes satisfying very much like sewing.
Shiny Sturmey Archer.
Pretty parts that will soon be in the dark and never seen again.
This is bright chrome but reflects the yellow from the artificial light. I rather like it.
This pretty part will soon be hidden by chain, chain guard, dirt and grime.
Same as above soon to be hidden away with only the rider aware of it being there.

I woke up this morning full of venom and worry.
Worry for my darlin' who went to the dentist yesterday and was/is not feeling well.
Venom because I made the mistake of paying attention to the so called newscast. I can't believe what grown men say and do but instead of dwelling on it I did this instead.

I can't do anything about stupid anyway, stupid being a rather permanent condition.
So my day was in the shop with Suzy the head dog and love songs from the 40's and 60's.

Old Fools Journal: Let There Be Light or the lowly light bulb as art

2010-07-05T20:55:00.003-05:00

This is the bulb of which I speak.

Their are all kinds of shapes of light bulbs and some are really beautiful but personally I like the shape and size of the common ordinary incandescent bulb preferably without the inside light diffusing coating. When they were first used they hung in the center of a room proudly displayed while they gave light. As time went by they were more and more hidden until they became a symbol of cheap or poor.

I have noticed over the years that the only people that seem to appreciate them are those people that are just coming into electric light and artist. I have seen examples of the former in some of the poorer parts of Mexico and in fact many years ago I enjoyed the best tacos and beer in a room with a dirt floor and a single 60 watt bulb hanging in the center. The place had an old ice box so the only electricity used was by that bulb.

Multi-bulb fixture - the number of bulbs is limited by the wiring, circuit breaker and/or cost of the parts. Simple idea but spectacular when on.
I want to make one similar to this only using cleaned out bulbs and a single bulb at the center.
Someday.

Some of the artist I am sure do not think of themselves as artist but rather as chandelier makers but they are artist and I stop and stare at their work. I also copy them.

Single bulb chandelier for the artist craftsman. This is a cool simple idea and I'm going to make one.

Anyone that has read any of the post I have done on lamps well knows that I am somewhat of a lamp freak. Some of those lamps hide the bulb which is OK because in that case it is about the lamp not the bulb but I have a few that share the stage with the bulb and one that is merely a stand for the bulb.

Burnt out bulbs are easy to open and clean out and I use them for art displays such as Kendra's bike feather as seen on Girl On Bike and whimsical stuff of my own. I have made plans for using burnt out bulbs for a couple of chandlers ideas that I got from someone else but I have no place to hang them. Maybe someday. This Christmas there will be at least one glass ornament on the tree made by me from a common 60 watt light bulb.

Burnt out bulbs use to be more fun to break when I was a child. In those days they enclose a near vacuum but now they usually have an inert gas in them. The bulbs with the vacuum had a definite distinctive pop when broken but now it just sounds like broken glass.

I like using them for display such as Kendra's bike feather.

I'm no artist but I think the hatching light bulb falls under "art project. Foolish stuff for an oldfool.

More attempts at art. This is the "Whats it for" bulb because children ask "What's it for?".
Another brass base from the thrift store. Five cents.

There is another shape of bulb that I find truly pleasing and that is the plain round globe. They are more expensive but the globe is a shape that pulls at something primitive inside my head. Not something I can explain.

I also like the shape of the bulbs from Edison's day for their antiqueness but they are not common and I find hard to get. Pricey too.
This vase is a good use for round bulbs. The brass base came from the thrift store for a quarter. The artificial looking plants came from my yard and they are real

The new CFL's are an abomination in the looks department. I use them almost exclusively because they are cheap now and save energy but they are ugly. I revert to plain incandescent lighting in the winter for the heat that they produce. I get about 600 watts of heat as well as light evenly dispersed throughout my hovel and on many days and nights that is sufficient.

Some CFL's are made with a glass facade that is suppose to make them look like the common bulb but the manufacturers haven't got that right yet and they are way to expensive for what you get. I've a feeling that the CFL is not as "green" as is claimed when the cost to the environment of manufacturing and waste disposal is figured in. I've no proof of that.

I see new direct replacement LED's coming on the market now that have a pleasing shape but they are very pricey. I haven't actually seen one in the flesh yet or held one in my hand so I am reserving judgment.

See beauty in the common place.

Old Fools Journal: Unintentional Science Project or You gonna eat that?

2010-07-03T10:30:00.002-05:00

About three weeks ago I harvested these radish seeds. This plant is left over from last summer and was let be to see what would happen. Seeds happened. I took them not to replant but to eat. This is a giant radish and I didn't really care for it so I'm not planning to plant this variety again. I ended up with a heaping tablespoon full.

Four days ago I set about sprouting them and sprout they did. They were beautiful and fast growing. Yesterday I tasted them and they passed with flying colors. I decided to let them go one more night of growing before refrigerating. WRONG.

The top photo is the result. At first glance it looks pretty good but it you inspect it closely you'll see the white hair that is growing faster that the radish seed all through it. (It's on a 9 inch plate for scale). Everything is edible to some degree or another but I'm not going to eat that.

The only good thing that came of this is that I ate a big mouthful yesterday and it was delicious. It was radish only more delicately flavored and peppery. I was looking forward to having it in a salad.

What a way to start the weekend. Oh well the worms in my worm pile will get a treat.

I should have known better as it has been so wet here these last few week with perfect temperatures to grow moss, mold and that white fuzz. Before all this rain the heat had stopped my tomatoes from setting fruit and the remaining blossoms to drop but they have revitalized. They are making new leaves and flowers just in time for a big heat wave to kill them off. I am letting them do what ever they want but I know they are doomed.This little cluster of six plants is thriving here in the shade of the oak tree. Left to right there is the Sage, tomato and in with the tomato carrots and basil. Bottom left is something that SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) calls "Sweet and Spicy", she doesn't know it's real name just that it is supposed to grow up to be a hedge that smells sweet and spicy. Next is a pumpkin left over from last Halloween. I think it was just left there for want of anything else to do with it and this is what happened. Seems we have better luck with accidental stuff than with what we do on purpose
.
We had no rain yesterday for a change and my bubbling brook has turned back into a dry ditch. The air is warm and just moist enough to feel like Hawaii with a light body caressing breeze. Very sexy except it smells like the grease pit at the auto garage. Makes me kind of queasy. I hear that BP is trying to devise a way to charge us all for getting salt water in their oil. If you think that sounds preposterous then you should hear some of the really fringe rumors that circulate.

Remember that tomorrow is July 4th and that we celebrate "The Declaration of Independence". A concept that had never before been voiced. It has been called the worlds greatest invention and it is not just for the USA. You'll notice that it says ALL men.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We here in the United States often forget that "All" means everyone not just those that hold citizenship. Our founding fathers were a little confused as to what "men" meant when writing that body of law called the Constitution and we have been trying to straighten that out since. I believe that those who wrote the Declaration of Independence, there was more than one you know, were not confused about it at all. All meant All and Men meant Mankind.
What a concept.

And with that I'm going out into the yard to watch the juvenile cardinals, be adored by the dogs and smell the oil in the air.

Old Fools Journal: Mad Chemistry and Novel Concepts In Lubrication or Who Put These Lizards In My Bottom Brackett

2010-07-01T18:05:00.001-05:00

It was raining yesterday morning when I got out of bed so it was a perfect day to enjoy the leakiness of my shed. Rusty bicycle parts need rain and high humidity in order to keep that fine even coat on them. I however had other plans and seeing that the rain would possible cover my mistakes I set about using chemical warfare on the rust. Rust is just another color to me but this was ridiculous. It was the attack of the Iron Oxide Monster.
So I drained the dogs bath tub put in 6 ounces of oxalic acid in powder form, filled it with water and threw in some assorted bicycle parts. No dogs were harmed in this event that I call the "swell my fingers up event" as they vanished the instant I started filling the tub. As you can see the tub is not big enough to get the whole rear fender in but I'll just do it in one half at a time. The chain and front fender are submerged.

I call this event the "swell my fingers up" because 32 years ago while working bare handed with oxalic acid my hands became painfully swollen and the skin peeled off. My friends said it was physiological and was caused by the severe upsets in my love life. That may be true but I'm not taking any chances. I wear rubber gloves and rinse my hands often. I also pray to the east and shake a medicine mans rattle every time I go near this stuff.

My high tech safety lid to keep the dogs out is probably unnecessary because they don't seem to want to have any fun with me at all. Maybe it's the "Mad Scientist" musical score I play when experimenting with chemicals, flammables or electricity. Oxalic acid doesn't make noise or foam but perhaps they can smell it. Anything that removes rust without rubbing probably isn't good for you.
While that was going on I further removed parts from my new old bicycle. Above you see my right handed 36 mm wrench. By flipping it over it becomes a left handed 36 mm wrench. This wrench was originally called a monkey wrench but Ford renamed it a "Ford Wrench", put a square end that fits the differential plug on the Model T Ford and included it in the purchase of a new Model T. The rename didn't take of course and it's still called a monkey wrench. I was told that it was called that because of a popular toy of the day that was a monkey climbing a stick. Those were around when I was a kid. The movable jaw apparently reminded people of the monkey. It's kind of far fetched but OK. I was born with this one in my hand I think as I can't remember not ever having it. I have worn out tool boxes but this invaluable tool just keeps on keeping on. It is probably between 80 and 90 something years old and I haven't been able to break it even when using a four foot cheater pipe. I have removed the skin on my knuckles with it on many occasions.

From the bottom bracket I removed the pedals, crank arms, crank axle, cups, assorted ball bearings and two dried lizards. From all appearances the lizards value as lubricant was used up and the bearings had rusted. One was coming apart and did so all over the shop floor.
The lizards look like baby dragons and are holding together very well.
Before.After.
The top one is the front fender and I would use it as a chrome fender after treating and painting the underside. The rear fender has two large patches that is missing the chrome entirely. Since I can't afford to re-chrome I guess I'll repaint. I could just paint the rusty spots and name it Spots. Hmmm that sounds like fun.

This is not work so don't feel sorry for me. This is the Briar Patch that Br'er Rabbit talked of.

Old Fools Journal: My New Old Car or What a difference a motor makes.

2010-06-30T22:37:00.002-05:00

I took a little ride over to my mechanics garage to pick up my motor car Monday. It was a nice ride. Here is an amateurish video of a small part of the ride. It was only eight miles but I really enjoyed it.

When I said picturesque I was referring to the wood frame building with a full size front porch. What business do you go to that has that.

Off course it turned into an all day affair because you don't do major surgery without some recovery period. One little problem with the air conditioner occurred before I left. I use propane in my AC because it's more efficient, safer and better for the environment but of course not accepted by big business in the USA so it is unserviceable by garages. No problem for me because I do my on AC work. The problem was immediately corrected and I drove away with cool air. If you think that was not nice then you haven't experienced a 90 degree day with 90 percent humidity in traffic.

I stayed within a few miles of the garage to do a little light shopping. On my way to the BIG hardware store I discovered an old time hardware store I didn't know about where they not only knew what oxalic acid was but had it on the shelf and cheap too. Then off to the wine and bread store. Things went sour there as the battery was too low to restart. I called the garage and within ten minutes I was rescued and back to the shop we went.

While drinking a lot of water another plug that was unplugged while fixing the last problem then overlooked was found. Plugged in and everything was fine so off I went. New life in the old machine, how nice. Two days and 50 miles later, so far so good.

I have so little regard of motoring these days I wasn't going to bring it up but I decided that if there is even one reader left hanging then that is unfair. So there you have it.

Now I can get back to the new old bike. A subject I would really rather talk about. More about that tomorrow. Meanwhile think about whether you think lizards make good lubricant for the bottom bracket.

Old Fools Journal: Some Favorite Foods

2010-06-27T17:06:00.001-05:00

My favorite meal is Pizza. Any kind will do. it combines bread, sauce and whatever you have much like a sandwich does. I like them with anything and everything on them. My favorite food however is Mexican. Not Spanish or Mexico City Mexican but country working people Mexican. It can be as complex or as simple as you want. I like to cook Mexican and I do it rather well for my taste. This is sustenance at its simplest.
This quick meal is a corn tortilla fried in oil then salted. The black on this one means I over fried this one but that's what I wanted. I wanted it crispy and crackly. I don't know why I crave the carbon. I spead a layer of refried frilloles (mashed pinto beans heated in a skillet with lard) that had been premixed with pickled chopped jalapenos and a little cheese. I quite often stop right there and begin to eat because it is delicious.
Today I already had sliced homegrown tomatoes, sliced avocado, sliced sweet red onions some romaine pieces already on a plate in the refrigerator so why not pile it on. but first I added a big spoon of salsa right in the middle and sprinkled the whole thing liberally with cayenne.
I like these romaine ends because they are so crunchy and often eat them with salt in the summer. I put them on this "Tostada" more as a lid so I could eat this like a sandwich without digging my fingers into the avocado, tomato and beans. That way I don't have a messy fingernail cleaning job when I finish. Watching me eat one of these is not a pretty sight. A thorough mustache cleaning is required right after.

Corn tortillas and beans provide a complete protein I am told but I don't care as I eat it for taste. Essential fats are provided along with a portion of vegetables and no animals were harmed in the making of this quick lunch.

There are always corn tortillas in the refrigerator here and usually flour as well. SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) likes the flour better but I don't think that flour tortillas have the flavor and class of leavened bread. Besides that I believe the white man introduced wheat flour to a people that had plenty of corn so they would become dependent.

Corn tortillas are cheap and keep well. They travel well. Years ago when I traveled a lot a bag of tortilla chips and a can of bean dip was my dinner many a night. Eaten cold it taste good, was good for me, filling and satisfying. I never felt deprived.

Downside: I'm known as Old Fart around here not Old Fool.

Old Fools Journal: Bag Rock

2010-06-26T16:15:00.004-05:00

Rock and Roll on the pipes and why not.

I've always wanted to play the pipes but the last time I tried I couldn't even blow up the bag. I was in my thirties then and in excellent shape. I know I couldn't do it now. Pity.

The bagpipe is the only musical instrument I know of that can bring the hardest heart to tears and yet has been used as a fearsome weapon of war scattering grown men before it like leaves in the wind.

I imagine in the beginning at the "The Big Bang" that it sounded like the big drums of the native Americans accompanied by the bagpipes and I imagine that the end will sound the same.

Wearing a kilt
at the
end of time
might
be
drafty.

Old Fools Journal: The Bug or Get Me Out of Here This Suit Is Too Tight

2010-06-25T08:36:00.002-05:00

The Bug expert here says this is a June bug but I think it is a Cicada. It was on the ground with the ants so it was placed on the screen.
Great green bug colors and it pulsates.
Sorry about the shaky pictures.
Almost out. This is probably when the birds really like them.
Another crappy pic but at least it gives scale. The spray can is a 12 oz. I should have used my tripod. I'm too shaky to take pics free hand.

I keep thinking I'm receiving telepathic brain waves saying "take me to your leader".

Next morning the alien was gone leaving the capsule behind.

Old Fools Journal: Decisions, Decisions or how to develop and increase your stress level to the extreme

2010-06-23T13:07:00.001-05:00

This past Friday when I was out and about using my weekly one gallon of gas allotment in this motor vehicle that I have owned for 8 ½ years the ticking sound coming from the engine room suddenly became a rather loud annoying knock. It finally got loud enough that I could not drown it out with the radio volume control that being how I fix rattles, squeaks and knocks.
Having enough money to not have to work on automobiles I decided Monday to take it to my master guru of mechanicdom Kim Smith at Carsmiths and get a prognosis. Kim does not actually work on my auto as he has a nimble fingered competent young man that knows this Ford jalopy as well as I do that does the work and does a fine job. Loading my trusty Schwinn on the back off I went. Leaving the pollution machine there I rode back home (only 8 or so miles) picking up some sourdough bread and a gallon of water (forgot my water bottle) at the store on the way.
Cruising along the back streets of Houma, La in 96 degree heat was pleasant and as long as I kept moving the 85 percent humidity was hardly noticeable. I found all sorts of stuff. None of it valuable.
I do wonder about the stuff I find. Like where is the knife that goes with the sheath? Did the person that threw the sheath throw the knife too? And which went first? What about the 12volt power plug? It says 3g iphone on it and I looked all around but did not find an iphone. Wherever it is it probably still has the missing plug from the wire still in it.The bolts, chain hook and other assorted stuff just fell out of trucks and cars. I sometimes wonder how much stuff can fall off a vehicle before it will no longer go. I have found many mufflers, hubcaps and such but once I found a drive shaft. How do you continue without that? The most valuable thing here is the wheel weight. It's hard lead containing tin and antimony. Makes excellent musket balls.

So yesterday I decided to do a little yard work starting with mowing some of the grass around the garden. SWMBO (She who must be obeyed) doesn't like the way I do it so I just do it to hear her complain. When I don't do it she complains too so I usually go that route as it is not near as sweaty but this day I felt in the need of a little exercise. I mow until my chest hurts or until the sweat starts running into my eyes whichever comes first. It only took about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile my grandson managed to twist the end of the AC adapter for his laptop until it no longer works. Since I'm the only one here that fixes this sort of thing he used it as an excuse to talk to me. He already did two of them on my Dell laptop but this is on his. I haven't got a clue what he does in his dark room besides make trash but it somehow involves going around and around the adapter cord until it makes sparks.
He left me with nothing to work with but I peeled some of the cover off the plug and got enough wire out to make a connection. That black stuff on the wire in the middle is Liquid Tape. Great stuff.
I added a little reinforcement not that will slow a really big 17 old boy down. He has it plugged in and can now go back to playing online video games and watching porn.

The Prognosis
There is something really wrong deep in the innards of the engine and the cost to tear it down to find out what it is is prohibitive but a used engine has been located in the local area that only has 114,000 miles on it. That's about the mileage this one had when I bought it in 2001. I don't know what my mileage is now as the speedometer broke at 186,000 miles about five years ago. I took the night to sleep on my options, have bad dreams and otherwise fret about the best way to go.

Should I junk it out? I'd get less than the value of the gas in the tank not to mention the new battery I put in a few months back.
Should I part it out? I have enough room to park it and I know how to use Craigslist and eBay. If I did that I would need to decide whether to get another car or not. Since there is no public transportation within six miles, no sidewalks or paths and a taxi has to come out from town being without a car is like being on the county farm (jail). My bike takes care of most of my needs but there would be no more going to the thrift store, the airport, the odd trip for garden needs or to pick up Her Highness the Princess. Not to mention rescueing SWMBO when she breaks down in her 1993 ford pickup truck. Unacceptable.

So shop for a car I did, Online. For about four times the price of putting in the used engine I can get a vehicle that is about to break all the things I have just fixed on this one.
In the interest of keeping with my penchant to fix things instead of replacing I have decided to keep it and put in the engine. Besides this car is only 23 years old so it's nearly new.
With the amount I drive this car should last until I die, lose my license or get crashed into by some drunk trying to send a text message.

Now that that decision is made I can go back to worrying about even more trivial matters like oil disasters, pin brained politicos and lunch.

Old Fools Journal: So Here It Is Fathers Day or another contrived holiday to sell stuff.

2010-06-20T07:09:00.002-05:00

There was no such thing as fathers day until 1972 and I was 33 years old at the time. I didn't know there was anything special about being a father. Your either were one or not. So now we honor all fathers? There are many that should be whipped and many that are heroes. Lets not lump them together.

My biological father could care less about me and I don't really care. What I have found out about him does not make me long to have been in his care. My stepfather, on the other hand, was a very real role model. Guess which one I try to be like.

I have tried but I know that I have fallen short of being a good father or a good stepfather so now I concentrate on being a good grandfather. I don't think I'm doing to well at that either but I will keep trying.

This guy was a good father but better than that he was my friend.

Old Fools Journal: My New Old Bike

2010-06-19T08:45:00.001-05:00

The bike that followed me home last week is getting a clean up. It appears that someone had a problem with the seat post sometime in the past as it was apparently broken off or cut off and then had the crap beat out of it. As you can see here I have my delicate seat tube removal tool (18 inch pipe wrench) employed but even it would not budge that tube and that was after a night of soaking in Liquid Wrench penetrating oil.

So I got the 10 inch pipe wrench that I had foolishly thought originally would do the job out again slipped a 24 inch long galvanized iron pipe over it and approached it with an attitude. Now I may be old but I'm still a pretty stout old and I laid my big butt into it. That thing came lose with a sound like a gun going off. Even with that it was another 20 minutes working it back and forth to get it out.
I don't think it will ever be a seat post again. Oh well into the scrape box. I might need it someday for something else. I have three other seat post this size, all rusty and too long but I have time and patience. I also have a bench mounted cut off wheel that I used just last week to cut its own electrical cord. Oops. Oh well I like sparks and smoke. This is my high tech? method of cleaning up a seat tube. It is a belt sanders sandpaper loop that the glue let go on in this climate, straightened out and rolled it into a tube. It's quite long and stiff so really gets down into the tube without any reinforcement.

The tires are 1⅜ available at the local hardware store and I probably should replace these. The casing is still good and they have good tread but the rubber on the side wall has rotted away. I can't even read the brand but since the tubes, which are in excellent new condition, were made in Taiwan the tires probably were too. It's been a long time since I have seen tires and tubes from Formosa. Everything comes from Red China now.

The rims are double walled steel and have some rust but as you can see from the picture are cleaning up pretty good and they are straight. #000 steel wool does wonders on the rim and a coarse bronze pad cleans the spokes pretty well. I may replace some spokes but I've ridden on worse. Not having a death wish I may not be riding all that much anyway. I'll get back to you on that.

I took a tire pump with me when I picked the bike up but I didn't need it as the tires still had air, really old air.
This is a well made bike and in good enough shape that I'm not going to repaint it except for the fenders. They were chromed or what passes for chrome and I don't think I can recover them short of striping and painting. We'll see.

This bicycle is a Free Spirit a brand that was carried by Sears and Roebuck & Co back when there was a Roebuck. Now that's all Kmart. I have another Free Spirit slated for restoration that is a single speed with a Bendix coaster brake. It was another freebie also without a seat. I put a seat on it, aired the tires and rode it. So did SWMBO and we declared it good. Both these bikes are in the English Raleigh upright style with 26x1⅜ tires.

Free Spirits seem to come my way and about 6 or 7 years ago I picked up a Free Spirit road bike with 27 inch wheels and a frame so tall I had to use a stool to get on it. It was in perfect condition almost like new. I kept it around for a few years then got tired of working around it. I couldn't even give it away so I sawed it up and made a shop stool and a truing stand out of it. some of the parts went into various projects and some are still waiting to be used.

It's nice to have a project, especially one that you really like.

Old Fools Journal: Houma, Where's That?

2010-06-17T11:36:00.001-05:00

That's what I said in a road side rest area in Oklahoma in 1993 to the driver of one of these trucks. SWMBO and I were driving for a trucking company out of Memphis, Tennessee and had pulled in for a little rest. I saw this Corvette yellow truck and just had to know where it was from so I went over and took a look. It said Texas on the door but when I ask the driver where in Texas exactly and were they hiring. He told me Texas was for business purposes, the actual location was Houma, Louisiana and they were always hiring. A month or so later we had a brand new yellow truck and we knew where Houma was. We put 530,000 miles on that truck hauling produce, sugar and paper. We put about 400,000 miles on the Peterbilt in the picture above.
That job disappeared after about seven years and SWMBO told me to go to the airport and get any old job and I'd be flying again in no time. She was right and she is not bashful about letting me know it. This was my new office. I was in the oil business as a pipeline aerial inspector. Lots of flying and way too much paperwork. These people were still FAXing.
That's how I took these pics of Houma. I was on my way home when I took this and the following picture. That twin span bridge didn't exist when we moved here but instead had a lift bridge. It is just down the bayou (¼ mile) from the center of Houma. At the very left side of the picture under the bridge there is a public marina and a little park. It is five mile from my garden by bicycle. The bridge crosses the Inter coastal Canal.
If you squint down real hard you can see my bus about five mile north northeast. Downtown Houma is just in front of the strut in the left side of the picture. The leading edge of the strut is that black line. It is an old town with a big cemetery right downtown. The real business district has moved north of town and the only thing downtown is the hospital, post office, court house and hundreds of personal injury lawyers drawn here because of the oil business like flies to stink.
This the marina under the bridge and my faithful Schwinn.
Inside my office. I was in the oil business and it was a love/hate relationship. On the one hand I loved flying and on the other I immensely disliked the oil industry that had been raping the environment since its inception. On the one hand I was a watchdog that could shut them down with a single phone call and on the other I helped maximize their profits. I do know that the oil companies care for only one thing and that is maximum profit. The law says that they must visually inspect their wells, pipelines, refineries and storage facilities every 21 days. There are hefty fines if they don't have it documented and have someone to blame. In the USA, litigation being what it is, spills and leaks do not maximize profit. In the USA it's cheaper to avoid pollution. In Nigeria it's cheaper to pay off the village headman and not worry about how much oil is spilled or that it's killing the land and the people.

Finding oil, producing oil and piping oil are different divisions and aren't really all that connected. Finding oil has it own problems as we know from recent events. Producing oil has another set of problems that are similar but have the problem of maintenance because of longevity. Pipe-lining is moving the oil and it has nothing to do with finding or production. I have to say that it is the only part I could ever have been a part of. I found that the pipeliners from the top to the bottom were the most conscientious group of people I have ever met. They were intensely aware of the environment and that they and their children had to live in what ever mess was made. They are paid well and they can go to jail for negligence or falsifying records but in my opinion that is not what drives these professionals. They are motivated by pride and peer pressure. To be complimented by another pipeliner for your work is a reward indeed.

My job was to fly over the pipelines, storage facilities and refineries at low level and report leaks and problems before they happened. It's intense and it's boring, It requires a lot of multi-tasking and if you have paid attention to these writings you know what I think of that. Just flying the airplane is job enough but add low level, looking for birds, looking for towers, talking on the radio, talking on the phone, navigating, writing notes and then trying to guess what that guy with the backhoe on the right-of -way is doing is busy work. Then there is what's that noise, is the engine missing, can I land on the right-of-way if it quits and what's that smell. Stress is the pipeline pilots constant companion and sits in his black robe right in front with you holding his knife to your throat.

The upside is being eye to eye with an eagle as he/she sizes you up, watching red tailed hawks do their work, groups of wild turkeys on the ground or a half dozen javelinas, seeing close up the immense power of thunderstorms, flying around the tops of clouds when deadheading and the occasional day when you do everything right.

The location of Houma, La. is Latitude = 29.5958, Longitude = -90.7195.
The BP oil disaster command center is located in Schriever, Louisiana, a tiny little town located 10.8 miles by bicycle from my house. Schriever is small enough that the news media always refers to it by describing its location as "near Houma" as if anyone knows where that is. Schriever has an Amtrac station and the train will stop for you if you call and buy a ticket. When the wind is right I can hear the train whistles from the garden.

Houma claims 96,000 people of which probably 90,000 work in the oil or oil related business. Close down the oil business today and weeds will be growing downtown tomorrow and that would not be a bad thing. I live in Bayou Blue and that's even smaller than Schriever and in a different parish (county).

Now that I've got that off my chest I'm going to have some fresh asparagus from the garden with butter, some sauteed fish for lunch and a nap then it's into the shed to do a little more work on the bicycle that followed me home. That is a subject I find much more enjoyable and satisfying.More about this in a later post. Looks like fun doesn't it?

Old Fools Journal: Spend Little Live Rich

2010-06-15T17:30:00.014-05:00

When I arose this morning I could see that it was going to be a good and positive day. The flats I had fixed in my dreams at the end of my sleep all were successful, my ankles didn't hurt when my feet hit the floor and I didn't have my usual morning backache. Oh yes a good day indeed.
My plan was to clean up this bowl that was named my "collection plate" by my friend Mickie.

So I decided that I needed to use the electrolytic process using baking soda, salt, aluminum foil and hot water. First I need a big pot. SWMBO's (she who must be obeyed) crab pot is just right and after all thanks to BP she may never need it again.Ah, perfect fit. Onward.
Since I wanted hot water I put the pot on the stove and put enough water in it to cover the plate and turned up the heat.
What's that sizzling noise? Why does the top of the cook stove look like the bottom of the sink?
Houston we have a problem! I whisked it outside stumbling over the dogs and determined that since the last time we had crab and today we had developed a small water spill. No problem there is a plan for such an event. So I gathered my team (3 dogs, 4 turtles and me the CEO. The cats have deserted because I think they saw this event coming) and we consulted the plan. After consultation it was decided that we would put junk on the hole and stop the leak. After trying different kinds of junk on the outside that did not work I went to the old standby for all leaks, Monkey Pucky. That's not it's real name, just what we call it.

It's really Plumber's Putty. I fixed a leaky tin roof in Mexico with it once and I'll bet it still does not leak.Take a little piece.
Flatten it.Stick it on the hole. It doesn't like to stick to wet but by pushing it hard enough to squeeze some through the hole it slowed the leak to a reasonable level.
The magic of science fills me with wonder. The yellow highlights are reflections of the indoor lights that were all on because of the massive thunderstorm playing around outside. It was really dark at midday.
This collection plate is made by Sheridan Silverplate, inc and has all the marks on the back. Cost 25 cents at the thrift store. I picked it up because it was the prefect size for cleaning bike parts even the chain. I'll bet I'm the only bicycle repairman that use a silver plated bowl to clean bike chain.

The only downside today was during lunch (black eyed peas with local green onion sausage, sourdough bread, home grown tomatoes and sweet onion) I made the mistake of turning on the TV to see how long the torrential downpour was going to last. I didn't find that but C-Span had a game show that was pretty pathetic. On one side there were a bunch of old white men in expensive suits who weren't very bright but seemed to think they were all movie stars. I think they were congressmen. On the other side there were a bunch of zombies, all white men in what appeared to be over sized off the rack suits. I think they were the oil moguls dressing down for the occasion. The one side ask dumb questions after making a lot of time consuming remarks all calculated to maximize camera time (the movie stars) and the other side gave dumb evasive answers in dull lifeless monotone (zombie oil moguls). There was no chase scene so I took a nap in which I did not have to fix any flats. All I remember was a light kiss on the lips. How nice.

Now I'm off to have wine in the garden with my bride. I think I'll wear my purple and black plaid kilt since it's freshly washed and ironed.

Old Fools Journal: Crawfish Boil or Piles of Hot Spicy Mudbugs On Your Plate

2010-06-12T17:00:00.003-05:00

Friday I was invited to a crawfish boil at the airport so not being one to turn down free food, the opportunity to see a couple of friends and the chance of not being invited again I went. This the same place featured here.

To the uninitiated they are not very appetizing.

Especially in mass but they are hot and spicy and once you get the hang of it easy to eat. There is, however, no way it's not messy especially for a man (or woman) with a mustache.
Some people never get over the fact that you are eating that critters insides including whatever it ate. In short guts and all.

My friend Missy is holding one of these little varmints here and in the video below stars in a presentation demonstrating how to eat mud bugs. Most men I have seen in no way are this graceful and precise. She makes it look easy and actually it is. I just have a nack for getting it all over me as soon as I touch one. She makes "sucking the head" look good.

Please excuse the noise but it is after all in an open hanger at the airport with a lot of jets and helicopters coming and going.

As you can see below I touched more than one. It took half a roll of paper towels just to clean up my mustache.

This was just the first plate. I didn't finish the onion as it was really hot.
The Air Base, as it's called locally, is still in a frenzy of BP Oil Disaster with the coming and going of people observing at tax payer expense. Few if any are here to do anything.
This time I'm told the celebrity is the Secretary of Homeland Security. Maybe the good secretary is here to see if BP is a terrorist organization.

These Coast Guardies were here for the crawfish both are young enough to be my grandson. They were really nice guys humoring that old fool with the camera.

I didn't hang around long as there was just too much security, too many big cars with blacked out windows and armed men. Did I mention that it was "drench with sweat" hot?

The following is how it is in layman's terms. Right clicking and watching on you tube recommended.