9/25/2016

Rain Again

A few years back, the Master Gardener told me that in the fall we should put the plants and trees to bed for the winter with their feet wet.  Well, we won't have to water to achieve that this year.  The other day I got my tractor out and moved a couple of dead trees.   Even in 4 wheel drive, the wet muddy ground caused me a lot of trouble.  Then last night was got over an inch of rain.

A couple of years ago we bought a tractor to help with the chores around the farm.  It seems that I have had about the worst luck with the charging/starting system on that tractor.  I have replaced a good portion of the starting system and now it sits dead in the storage building again.  I have replaced most of the switches and still can't get the starter to energize.  Oh well, there is always another day.

On the internet today, there was a guy that had restored a 53 Chevy truck in all its glory.  I'll bet he spent $50,000 doing just that.  He didn't put in a v-8 or any of the great parts available for old trucks.  He basically put it back into shape so he could drive it on the highway.  I guess everyone is welcome to do what they can afford but I would rather have one that is capable of stopping as well as it goes forward. 

Sometime in the next week, Barb and I are going to see if Space A flights are what they are supposed to cracked up to be.  I don't think  we will go outside of the Continental US but not sure where we will go.  Oh well, I am sure it will be fun.

Better get cracking and see what I can conjure up to do today.  My good book and a nap doesn't sound too bad.

MUD


9/23/2016

One of the Good Guys

I had an old friend tell me that we were one of the Good Guys and it reminded me of what another friend told me a few years back.

When I met my old friend, I asked her how she was doing.  I knew she had been ill and had taken a Medical Retirement from the Guard.   She replied, "Oh, Dennis it is almost embarrassing to tell you that because of Cancer they have removed so much that I could shower with the guys."  Was that TMI?   You would have to know just how special this person was to me and I wouldn't spoil her name by sharing it.

MUD

9/18/2016

What's the Difference?

The other day I walked past the bookshelf and discovered a book called "8,789 Words of Wisdom."  I read a little way into it and found it while kind of funny in places, it caused me to wonder what is the difference between words of wisdom and snarky comments?    In one place it tells you to stop and smell the roses and then it tells you to never get caught doing nothing.  I  guess there is no real end or beginning in a book that is a bunch of stuff made up and compiled to keep you from doing important things.  Besides, I have trouble enough remembering snarky things without the clutter of good advice.

I think this is kind of like the story of my life.  I have tons and tons of good advice rolling around in my mind, it just doesn't always stop rolling when I need it.  Sometimes it does stop and then I find myself in a place totally inappropriate.  I guess that's why about half of us are Trump supporters.  My only problem with his is that he is pretty repetitive and needs a lot of new material now and then.  

Do you know what I think is the biggest problem with Facebook?  It doesn't provide a good way to tell you when or why your followers or "Friends" unfriend you.  Wouldn't it be nice to have a small check box that tells you when you have offended someone and the silly reason they feel that way?  We live in  a country where we demand free speech.  Wouldn't it be nice to have an ex-follower  tell you in plain English why they will stop communicating with you.  Imagine a series of boxes that tell you that either you are an asshole or a buffoon.  You can make up the boxes in between.  Or perhaps like me, you don't write for them, only for yourself.  

So, in short, and I don't usually keep it short, there is a limit for a subject and when you find yourself saying something opposite of what you just said, STOP. 

MUD

Sunday Morning

When I was a kid, I delivered the Newspaper in Wichita.  My favorite day was Sunday and I would come home with a pristine paper and sit down and get to be the first reader.  It seemed to me that there was more news and less ads in the paper but I might be wrong.   I do remember that back then, I didn't have to drink coffee to stay awake and read it.  Must be getting old.

This morning, TCM had the story of Samuel Clemons on and I had forgotten a lot about his life as Mark Twain.  I did remember that as Ulysses Grant was dying of Cancer Samuel stepped in and wrote the Biography of Grant and published it.  It saved Grant from dying in debt and forcing his widow to declare Bankruptcy.  I had forgotten that it did force Clemens to go on a world wide lecture tour to save him from declaring Bankruptcy.  It did make me wonder how many of the kids of today get the opportunity to read about the life on the  Mississippi in the early 1800's.  How many of you read about the jumping frog in California and the contest to see how far they could jump.  One of these days I will try to find a copy of the Grant history and read it. 

This morning I read that the daughter of one of our friends was selected as Co-MVP of a volleyball tournament.  I reminded Barb that we had attended the wedding of her friend about 20 years ago.   Barb didn't seem to remember it very well and I seemed to have a clear memory of not only the wedding but the reception.  I am not sure if it is a blessing that I can still remember the minutiae or for her that she doesn't have it all cluttering up her memory.  I guess it is all in what you want. 

 For most of this week, it has been pretty rainy and the ground is way to soggy to get out on the mower or the tractor to move the downed tree that fell in the last wind.  I guess one of these days that it will be dry enough to get something done.  Not today I guess.

Are you a sport's fan?  Other than last year's run for the Royals, I haven't been a fan of Baseball since the time that overpaid bunch of brats went on strike so they could make more money per game than teacher's make in a year.  Now there is the professional (or unprofessional as you may see it) rant by Pro Football players and I never did like pro wrestling.  Oh well, KU Basketball is just around the corner and we have season tickets.  We have both women and men's season tickets.  It does somewhat embarrass me that the women's tickets are about what the per game tickets for the men's games are.  Oh well, no system is prefect in spite of the goals of Title 9. 

Do you know what I find kind of frustrating?   When I get ready to do a job, it generally takes me more time to get ready than it does to do the job.  The maintenance involved in having all the tools and vehicles  is almost discouraging.  I don't want to hire all the jobs done, I just need a handyman to get the tools laid out and then put away when I am furnished.  I know, do I want some cheese to go with that whine (wine get it?) 

Better get moving or I might find my butt frozen here in my chair.  That's another thing, this damned chair is losing it's cover on the fake leather.  It looks like an old dog with mange.   I guess if I had a fat old guy playing solitaire sitting on me all day I probably wouldn't look much better. 

MUD

9/16/2016

Hate, How Deep and how long.

I listened to a video clip about African Americans and how they had to fight for equality, freedom , equality and finally they now feeling left out of the fight altogether.   I would love to ask them who do they think did the bulk of the fighting?  Yep, for the most part, the northern White men died in way more ways that all the black people have.  We saw that there was a gross injustice done and stood up.   Had Abraham Lincoln not started the discussion in the battle field of the polls and been the President, no one would know how long it would have taken us to wake up to equal rights and the freedom to live like the rest of Americans.  I don't want the blacks in America to feel sorry for us, but it would be nice if now and then the people in the party of Lincoln would get a little less hate back. 

One of the speakers brought up the subject of reparations.   There is just no way that our country can solve any more problems with more money.  We have spent ourselves into a hole saving the world's problems.  Like the threat of Regan's military spending threat, the people of today need to understand that we fought the good fight and now need to turn our sights internal to the US and stop spending more than we take in.  Every dollar we spend on someone else is a dollar that could go to increasing the money to our schools, roads and people.  Bring in another 100,000 refugees from Syria and you will have to cut the funding to people here in the USA.  Money is a problem, not the solution. 

Why does the message of Donald Trump resonate with the half of the population that are described as the basket by Hillary?  Because the Democrats haven't been awake since the 1960's that more money didn't, won't, can't solve all the problems.  Every job sent over sea's is another job we don't have here in America.  A dollar is said to turn over 7 times if it is spent here in America.  How many time do you think it turns over if it goes directly to China, Vietnam or Japan.  Count the container ships coming here every day and you might understand how we have taken away our ability to manufacture things.

End of Rant!

MUD