Mame's Digression Thread

Got to keep a thread like this going for a while before enough posters become interested enough to make it work.

Maybe ten years ago - my memory fails here - I planted a cactus at the corner of the property. A prickly pear but with larger pads and hairlike prickles. Over time the plant crowded against the fence and became about seven feet tall. I took a pad and grew one separately about the center of the yard at the fence. It grew well and spread out rather than standing up. It didn't take much thought to realize the tall cactus was straining to follow the sun, fighting to get to the other side of the fence. It drew quite a bit of attention. Our recent deep freeze episode killed the tall cactus. The other cactus finally sprung up again. So I transferred some of it to the corner. Waiting for it to attack the fence.

My car didn't start this morning. Not a light, not a sound - no solenoid clicking - nada. Nothing. I last had a new battery in 2016 so it's time, but weird that there were no noticeable or obvious signs. My husband is out there right now trying to jumpstart it, but I think tomorrow I'll be getting a new battery.

Tonight we're treating ourselves to a high-end restaurant to celebrate things opening. And yes, $$$, but we deserve it We all do!

Edit:

Well, my car started right up, but the battery was completely drained. Weird. It's summer, so no light was left on (I don't usually drive at night anyway). I do think I need to replace this battery, though, since it's been five years. Rocky, where are you when I need you?

Could be the alternator is just working part time.

Well, it's probably cheaper if it's just the battery

It is. You may need both if it's the alternator since the battery is not just old but under added strain.

Thank you. The car is a 2012 Mazda 2. It's not old. I bought it in 2014 and replaced the battery in 2016.

I drove a 1963 Strato Chief until it died in 1993. That was my best car ever.

They don't make 'em like they used to.

A few months ago my alternator failed. It was about a week past the guarantee. The mechanic replaced it for free anyway. He said that I didn't do that much driving, so the alternator should have kept working longer.

what a nice guy!

I've been going to him about 30 years for that reason.

It's so hot in here and I have a fan on full blast on me - it's actually cooler outside. Thinking of turning the sprinkler on and running through it. How am I ever gonna sleep? And it was only 31 today - all week it's going to be in the high 30's. ack

My 84 yr old mother finally got her first vaccine. Whew.

My A/C conked out. I am having trouble finding a replacement blower motor. Fortunately we have a couple of window units.

lucky you.

i just went outside - it's maybe 1 degree cooler. my fan isn't helping. i might have to sleep on my freezer. i'm glad i'm not my dogs. i am dying here.

While playing with my desk toy, a 1kg cube of tungsten, it occurred to me that it was so convenient that the 'feel' of its mass was the same as its weight, but that there is no natural reason for that to be the case.
It only feels that way on a planet of this one's particular mass.

It's 34 deg today and going to get hotter. Several towns in Canada have broken heat records.

I have a sister in Oregon. Record temps there too.

34C i assume. I feel your pain. High of 74F here in CO today.

I'll trade you! I have two fans on me at the moment. I ran under my sprinkler for half an hour three separate times today. And I must have drunk 9 - 10 litres of water today. Yes, 34C - I'm in Canada. But I do know what 74F feels like - I'm jealous.

Is there a place to go to cool off, such as a library? I've gone to Walmart just to cool off in the past.

I'm gonna crawl into my freezer.

At 9 this morning I was thinking of heading to the supermarket to get some frozen drinks (lemonade, etc) and was cherishing the thought of standing in front of an open freezer for half an hour. But a couple of girlfriends dropped by and ruined my whole day So we ran through the sprinkler. That was fun and worked for a bit.

Don't mind me - I'm from the Canadian North... we all sound like this for the two weeks it's too hot to handle. God forbid I should live in AZ. Well, I just wouldn't.

"Canada broke a national heat record on Sunday when the temperature in a small town in British Columbia reached almost 116 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking an 84-year-old record by nearly 3 degrees, with dangerously hot weather expected to continue for several more days."