The Diary Project

2022
August

The First Summer
Feeling Fine

Has been hanging out in front of a window overlooking the back porch, it has made its home there for months, has grown large, and we even got to watch it mate, my favourite spider... perhaps ever Wolf (type) Spider photographed against a gauze curtain and escorted outside shortly thereafter Black Funnel (type) Spider that made its nest on the kitchen window, this is my second favourite spider, even though Ive not seen him hunt, eat, or pretty much even move
Also, it's been a very good year for spiders... and/or spider watching.

I almost sliced-off my finger cutting PVC... almost, close enough that I got some torn skin where my fingertip would have gone flying off if I hadn't gotten lucky. The stupid thing is that all sorts of warning bells were going-off in my mind... to the point I was walking through the steps I'd need to take, you know, if: which hospital, what to do about a medical card, and my mode of transportation in getting there.

I dried some Echinacea, but forgot to record it.

Thimbleweed? /NO!
Bee Balm? /Tea. Let's give it a go. {Spicy-ish. A Winner!}

The Crickets are In The House.

I bet I climbed fifty flights of stairs, today... maybe more.

Fear of Pain is Instinctual.
Fear of Death is Cultural.
/(and/or Pain Avoidance)

We very much enjoyed meeting with you and thank you for your time.
Unfortunately, your quote is a no go. We'll let you know if our needs change.
/we do not anticipate moving forward on your quote at this time.

Garage Sale Day: Tool Bonanza! Oh, I also got two canes (because why not; previously, The Late J's), a set of silver-plated flatware (because I am worth it), a filing cabinet (just because), and three old-time oil cans, which came with the silverware, because that's how I roll. Um, let's see... 7+ different power tools {reciprocating saw [i.e. sawzall], drill, belt sander, small electric chainsaw, one with extender, circular saw, and the weed whacker mentioned elsewhere}. And all of it (all of it) for $81! Score! Ha! Almost forgot the half-dozen plus galvanized pots, skewers, and a reel mower. Yeah, that's right. For the price of a reel mower, I got that and everything else.
///some assembly required
///quality unknown
///no returns
///no guarantee
///but seriously, what a haul
Sorry, I forgot the Weed Wacker for $10. So, $91 total.


Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
Light is the head that falls to the ground.

Is this even original?


PIC: Orb-Weaver(?) Spider

B: $17.76 Dog 'n Suds
L: BBQ $10.02
{A sojourn was made up to Madison. I lost at chess. Had some interesting conversations. And all-in-all enjoyed myself quite thoroughly.}

Lawn Mowed! It took me Two Weeks to start mower. Fuel Supply was Turned OFF for storage; because otherwise, gas floods (i.e. flows freely into and fills) the carburetor. {As mentioned elsewhere and elsewhen, a Riding Lawnmower came with The House. Oh, I paid for it. Trust me, I paid for it. But it was an itemized accouterment on The Bill of Sale.}

Looks like I may be right about The Big Bang not being a thing. I called it a decade ago. But my mind has moved on. And I really no longer care. See, metaphysically, infinity was important to me. But as there can be finite spaces in the infinite, I no longer have any skin in the game.

School Bus!

I've got all sorts of worry.
I live on worry.

MEDIA: Andrew Tate. I think that's about it for me. He's definitely High Energy.

Dark Rainbow Gathering: in-lieu of The Family.

Linseed Oil: Did two practice blocks and gardening side table. About to do large outdoor oval table. All as increasingly difficult test rubs for posts at back covered porch with concrete floor slab and front porch with wooden deck and stairs.

TD: Elderberry (second, quart or so of loose stems will yield a ⅓ cup or so of dried berries... maybe). Chair Legs (last, nope, cut a yew root out, instead). Phone Back Up (first, easy enough, but with this and that it took well over an hour). Grocery Shopping (second to last, tiring, including pre-meal prep, meal, hardware stop, and all, this took around four hours... individual measurements may vary). And that might make a day. No. I should add Grass/Dirt to Pit (third, close on the heels of second, something might grow there now, before it was clay hard-pack). Now, that's a day.

I made an Elderberry Tincture, today... today being the day The TD was written, tomorrow being when it is planned to be done.

Peaches! Score!

A Partial (partial) picture of the loot acquired at the estate sale, pre-clean or sort

M-----: Quite The Estate Sale! Let's brag, gloat, celebrate, and/or state our thanks. $120 bought a chair, writing desk, two paintings, load of dishware, and tons (literally tons) of tools, hardware, and miscellany, including six knick-knack pull drawer thingies full of hardware, a good dozen coffee cans full of same, plus a few boxes, three tool boxes (mostly empty and devoid of tools), a tackle box (with some tool gizmo in the bottom), and on and on. I asked The Universe (please, call it God) to take care of me (something or nothing, either way, open acceptance) and I would say that it/schweé did. Big Time!

Sort Order {on My Phone} is messed up again. For whatever reason, the internal clock got reset to February of 2001. But with a restart, that's fixed, now.

Plus (i.e. continuing): 2 Coal Shovels, 3 Snow Shovels, 3 Bow Saws (thus, we are talking quantity, not quality, these last are rusted fairly heavily, but all are to some degree serviceable), small bolt cutter, hand hedge cutter, 5 Caulk Guns, 10 (odd) Trowels of varying design, Electric Drill, call it 100' of Power Cord, Caged Work Light, what I think is a Tap 'n Die Set, and all the small lesser stuff, just on-and-on. I wonder why whoever took the tools {as there certainly were power tools amongst the estate items at one point} did not take this stuff. OK. It's bottom-feeder garbage. But then, between the three, I have at least one bowsaw, damn the rust.

TD: New Kitchen Faucet. The old one leaks. I have no idea how long the task will take me. I definitely need to clean the kitchen first, just in case we are talking days. Faucet. Two Inline Filters. Oh, right. And the drain gets in the way (in all sorts of ways) and will likely have to come out for the duration. We'll see.

PICS: Big Month for Spiders! Just nabbed my third. This guy got escorted to the beans out front... cause, um, in the shower just wasn't going to cut it.

... 6 Boxes Self Taping Concrete Fasteners. 13,500 (so, a full box of) 1.25" Staples. Neither of which has a use in sight. But the Heavy Duty String Trimmer String will see us through the season. And I've already used some Thin Gauge Wire as a Quickie-Do Twist-Tie Fastener, which appears to be as effective as it is unglamorous. Further SORT awaits arrival of Delivery Style Plastic Food Deli Containers in 8, 16, & 32oz Sizes. {The 8 & 16oz proving to be far more useful than the 32oz for my current purposes.}

Linseed Oil: Started on The Front Porch. Previously, Two Test Pieces, Potting Table, Main Outdoor Work Table, Bench, and now maybe a quarter (maybe a bit more, call it 7/24ths) of The Front Porch. I like it. I especially like the non-toxic nature of the stuff. I care not if my hands are soaking in Linseed Oil for hours. It softens your hands (don't you know) while you work on your house.

A Monarch Caterpillar getting ready to transform... unfortunately, something went wrong, oh, well

PICS: Monarch Caterpillar... In Full Bloom. I use My Sweetie's Eyes to spot such things; otherwise, I'd just pass them on by.

D (yesterday): I was not working on a mainline problem and considered it a day off. Helped Sweeties with Address Sign Project. Finished putting cloth makeshift bumper guards on garage door guide rails. Plugged drip in garage garden hose (rendering it useless for the moment). Removed Planters from Porch in anticipation of Linseed. Pre-planning for Garage Door Insulation and Basement Foundation Treatment. Skip-Skimmed a few Instruction Manuals for Garage Sale Tools. Kumbucha, Dishes, Vacuum Filter... and what else? Nothing Hard. Nothing Difficult. Nothing Major. By contrast, today is expected to include a Linseed Application Marathon... well, two hours, at least.

From: How much can you get away with?
To: How little do you need?

Linseed: The Front Porch is finished. I skipped a few spots (and may have done a fairly crappy job in others), while doing the last section on account of Stinging Insects. I will have to come back in the Spring or Fall and touch things up.


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And then, I pounded out installation of that new kitchen faucet. But then, that didn't really happen until September.


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