The Manic Mechanic

Happy birthday, Mom. Still miss you so much.

Today is Jeff's birthday. Together we are over 104 years old. I feel every bit of those years too. To celebrate, I took Jeff to Outback Steakhouse (g'day, crikey, fair dinkum, crocs, you call that a knife and all that stuff). On our way home he got a call out of the blue from a former coworker he was very good friends with. Hearing them catching up and recollecting old times and seeing the smile on his face was a treat. I seriously ate too much, and in the last few days, I've been eating more beef than in a long time.

I had gotten him a new bicycle as a birthday gift, his old one was never fun for him to ride, as the frame size was too small. I took him to a "real" bicycle shop where I had gotten mine and we looked at a few and tried a couple out. He came back from a test drive of the one I picked out after a very short ride and said he loved it. It's a GT "comfort" or "hybrid" bike, essentially the frame, gearing and components of a mountain bike, but with less knobby and overall softer tires. It also has 29" wheels, better able to deal with bumps and other hazards. I got a pannier rack delivered today for it as well, and put that on while Jeff was talking to his dad. Our bikes will be the primary mode of transportation when we head up to PTown in July. I can't walk for any distance at all in my condition, but as has been the case with this back ordeal, I can get around quite well on a bike. Jeff's old ride was not comfortable for him, this time I think we'll truly be set.

I've been offline as far as social media goes while I tend to personal issues as well as computer troubles. the UPS (uninterruptible power supply) that powers my primary computer went bonkers a while back. The malfunction made everything plugged into it go on and off like a car's turn signal. Other than perhaps dropping a computer into sea water or hurling it from a cliff, cycling the power is one of the worst things that you can do to it. Consequently, the hard drives were scrambled, the BIOS corrupted, and a few other minor bits of hardware were hosed. While I had mostly current backups of files, all of my current work, saved web pages, and the like were all unavailable. So I had to stumble around on one of the other PCs for a while as I worked on the beast machine in the studio. It's back, but it has some corrupted registry entries and other annoying problems (Photoshop registration got borked, Windows update doesn't function, some other software is screwed up in odd ways, and the like). A while back I had taken the original main hard drive out and replaced it with a nice, big 1TB SSD. This SSD is what got beat up by the UPS, but it was not physically damaged. The original drive has been hiding safely in the Underground Lab of Mayhem, I can simply make a copy of it again, but only after I get through some stuff. The copy would put the PC back to December of last year, when I did the upgrade. There are more computer stories to tell, but I'll save that for some other time.

Jeff has been busting his ass doing work in the yard, and it shows. The flower beds, rose garden and other areas are looking better than they have in years. I wish I could be more help with that, but the required stopping and bending is just too painful. I managed to do some serious suspension work and other maintenance on Jeff's truck last weekend, a friend came over and basically gophered tools and parts while I did the work. This saved me from having to constantly get up and down. I have to do the same on my old Stratus, but I will wait until after the wedding. It does need rear brakes, so those will most likely get done this weekend, it's only about a 45 minute job. Safety first.

As more aspects of our big wedding day begin to coalesce, the two of us are excited as well as still in a bit of a panic mode. It's less than a month away, and there's still a ton of stuff to get done. This is where I'm glad I'm stuck at home. I just wish I was able to do more. Having my back fail again was the worst thing to happen that I was worrying about, and loading up with narcotics to control the pain has the unfortunate side effect of scrambling my thoughts much like the hard drives in that PC. I lose track of time, forget what day it is, and forget things while I am having conversations. Even writing this entry is a chore, and this is one of the prime reasons for me hiding from the world. I just hope this is not a sign of something more serous. Given my luck of late, it's quite possible. But I refuse to let anything get in the way of our big day.

Today I made an old man cry. And it made me happy.

We were up in Pennsyltucky to take the slightly-scorched trailer to a local RV dealer to have an estimate done for repairs to the damage caused by the fire. Since Jeff's father's birfday is coming up and we couldn't be there for the actual day, I presented him with two of the reprinted photos lost in the fire, saying that I didn't buy these, I had to make 'em, 'cause no store carried them. I gave these to him because I had heard him talk about losing them the day of the fire. Poor guy broke down crying, but in a good way.

He's never hugged me like that before either. Best hug I got in a long time. :)

Next thing I did was hitch up the slightly overcooked trailer and we headed down to the RV dealer. Of course, we had to have a look at some of the new and "previously enjoyed" models on the lot. There just might be an upgrade in our future.

From there we took off for the most important task, which was to get Dad a new place to hang his hat. He had settled on a model from a nearby manufactured/modular home company, and he wanted us to give our "approval." While this too was essentially a double-wide similar to what he had before, it was of much higher quality, with solid construction, 6" walls with R19 insulation, above-average fittings and trim, and overall good quality. My only gripe was the interior used a paneling product rather than drywall, leaving the walls with vertical trim strips every 4 feet. The paneling did seem to be sturdy however, and the various prints available looked like good quality wallpapers. There were lots of custom touches included, with a great deal more extras and goodies available. We fussed over colors of siding, trim, roofing, counters, fixtures, etc. We had the place configured all the way down to the window treatments. He'll be getting a new home with a beautiful, wide-open floor plan for the kitchen, dining and living rooms, plus three bedrooms and two full baths. The thick walls and copious insulation on top, bottom and sides will help a lot with energy efficiency, and the interior should be nearly silent even when some of the loud local pickups roar by with their glasspack mufflers and mudbogger tires. Dad's only lament was he was doing all of this without mom's involvement. It was plainly obvious to all of us that she would've been thrilled with everything he had finally settled on. Jeff's sister, brother and sister-in-law were there for their inputs as well, and I think it's gonna be some sharp lookin' digs. The crowning exterior touch will be the end of the house that overlooks the yard and the field across the creek with the grazing buffalo, the entire end will be fitted with high-efficiency, floor-to-ceiling trapezoidal windows. I told dad to take the recommendation from the salesman for the roof prow, an extension to the eaves on that side which will act as a shade during the summer months to keep the sun out of that side of the house, yet let it in during the cooler seasons. This is something similar to what I had designed into La Casa Mayhem 25 years ago, and it does wonders for free heat in the winter. Unfortunately, I don't have the buffalo.

I think Dad is feeling a little more at ease. The burned up debris is gone, the old foundation had been dug out, and there is a nice hole in the ground that will soon have a fresh foundation going in. In fact, if things work out as they are planned so far, he might be moving in sometime in June, if not earlier. And, yes, I will have more framed surprises when there are places to hang them too. I want more hugs.

Okay, trying to change the course of late winter weather here at Mayhem Acres according to Groundhog Rules literally has it colder with accumulating snow in the front yard, and warmer melting snow in the back. The front yard faces south, making the little microclimate anomaly that much more interesting. Hey, I'm trying. lol

Thanks to everyone who brought me happy birthday wishes. It made my day. It does help the aging process be a bit of fun. I did a lot of sleeping yesterday (and this morning) while letting the painkillers deal with the latest injuries, aches and pains. Today is all about having TV sets on showing everything football related. Not to mention a lot of cool commercials. I can take a break from my somewhat anti-commercial stance while the ad industry actually tries to show their really creative sides, rather than the constant race to the bottom.

Many years ago, a German family down the road a bit were good friends with Mom and I. They were delightfully old-school in a lot of the things they did, as far as dinners, companionship and personal touches. One of the things me and Mom delighted in was the homemade cards they would bring (rather than mail) to us on the special days like Christmas and birthdays, often accompanied by incredible baked goods still warm from the oven. We were saddened when they moved away, but Mom had kept in touch. Those cards would still come to her in the mail. I had missed that sort of personal touch as the years alone moved along. That was until a year, and a day ago. Unbeknownst to him, LJ's delightful designerotter/Joe has kept that tradition alive, not just for me, but also to those whom are fortunate to have him in their circle of friends. He draws uniquely personal and contextual cards based on the life and interests of his recipients. Not only does this act showcase his incredible talent, more to the point it demonstrates his involving himself in the lives and entries of his LJ friends, something even more meaningful. He makes and posts dozens of whimsical cards each year, and brings smiles and happiness to everyone who sets their eyes on them. Proof positive that even online-only friendships are just as valid as long-term next-door neighbor friendships. Truly an inspiration for me, and, given my difficulty in even making stick figure drawings, a real art form.



How can that not make your day?

Thank you, Joe, and everyone else who sent well wishes. I am humbled.

♥♥♥

Happy Birthday, Mom.

Today is Kodi's birthday! He's all of 5 years old. He's a good pooch. We got him a cake with candles and everything. For a present, he got a trip to the vet and an update on all his vaccinations. I'd post pictures, but my computer is having none of it for some reason.

Happy Birthday Kodi!

Today would have been Mom's 84th birthday. I'm trying my best not to be overcome with sadness that she's gone. Being buoyed by good memories, and keeping warm wearing her favorite sweater (it's only a little tight, actually, it was generously hand-knit) helps.

Happy Birthday, Mom.

He's playful, he's furry and he's a handful.



He's Kodi! Aka CrazyDogInsanityPooch. He's three years old today.

...And, well, just another year older.

Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes in all the various ways. You guys are the greatest. It was just another typical day; wake up, go to work, after work head to the garage, after the garage come home to a nice dinner with Jeff, then a quiet evening. Missed out when our good friend Nola stopped by with her Brownies of Absolute Pwnage and a cute card while I was at the garage, but hope to have her visit again soon. Fell asleep watching Comedy Central as I was backing up files.

I suppose it's just another day in the life of a 47 year old man. I guess it could be a lot worse.

Time has come for me to utilize my Flickr account, at least before Microsoft gets a hold of it and turns it into a ruinous mess.

So, here are a few shots I popped off from yesterday's festivities.



And, howbout them Giants, huh? w00t!