I Think

Mighty muggy out there.

Lowe's mailed me a My Lowe's card. They expect me to go to their site and register. They say it's to keep track of my history to better serve me. I don't think they really need all that data for that. Do they? I have been sitting on it close to a month.

I hope CI will drink a round or two to Hemingway for me.

Well, ****.

We had a drink at Sloppy Joe's yesterday, and it'showing to be our regular hangout, because drinks are much cheaper than the hotel bar.
Just a quick hello from Havana.

We have five trees within reach of the house. Ours aren't as tall as yours, but are at roof level, and are a constant worry in high winds. Like you, we'd like to get them removed, but the cost is prohibitive in this country.

Have you been making copious apologies for the half century of terrorism that the US has heaped upon Cuba, CI?

Got called back to work yesterday to replace a blower motor to an A/C. Had also to go to storage and get a replacement condenser for on property need. When they built these apartments there were several installers at work. They ran the wiring by different routes, according to their inner muse. The guy that did yesterday's blower motor was different from any I've encountered in twenty years seeing these things. I am not a trained electrician or A/C man by any academic standard I know of. I picked up my knowledge by working with others who knew what they were doing, supposedly. So when I saw a third wire on the capacitor after always seeing only two, I was puzzled, to say the least. I had my suspicions because there was an extra wire I had no place for. I went to another apartment and looked to see how the wires ran last time. As I suspected, the extra wire I had hanging needed to go where the third capacitor wire originated from. Sure enough, that's what it took to get that A/C back in business. Success.

It's time you appraised those owners of what a valuable asset you are to their operations ed.

They know it. Last time I saw one of the owners from California, he actually hugged me and told me how much I was appreciated.

Tell them to forget hugging and small talk and get some $$$$$$s on the table. And an assistant.

They are building a pile of resumes in the inner office. As for money, what could I possibly do with a handsome wage? I've got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.

Do you whistle while you work?

How about, pay your house mortgage off much faster, Ed?

I enjoy being able to help out as long as I can. Of course I like money, but that boat sailed long ago.

My wife was driving near the apartments a few hours ago. She saw police cars with flashing lights in front of the office. So she drove through the side and back parking lots until she came to a firetruck and an ambulance. She left then, but called me and I drove over there. Turns out a woman I have known for about fourteen years died. She had been living with a son with a form of Downs Syndrome. He's probably between thirty five and forty. I hope he has some big hearted relatives. It would be a shame to see him institutionalized in a government facility. I will learn more later.

It's June, Cleaver. 95 degrees expected. So what? you exclaim. Don't know. Small talk begins with weather. Some of that rain from Oklahoma and n Texas expected to move this way, but it doesn't seem likely we will get anything severe.

I will miss the woman that died at the apartments yesterday. She was good to know at holiday times. She sometimes gave me home made gingerbread houses, loaves of still warm bread - She used to tell stories of growing up in Germany and tales of her married life. The "son" she was living with actually was born to a relative, one who could not cope with Downs and passed the boy to her. She was a big woman and fat, and had no teeth. Her pictures taken fifty years ago show a beautiful girl, with lots of spunk.

I spent an hour spraying poison ivy today. I made up my mind to spray it once every week or two for all summer or until it's gone. I ought to have mowed first, but then I would have missed more than half of it. Mowing will just have to wait.

I spent most of today relaxing. My sore knee is a bit better but not back to normal. I had to police myself to keep from binging on ice cream.

She sounded a really nice lady. I hope her son will be all right!

That woman was a card, until a few years ago. Great stories and humor. Lately she had become withdrawn and sat at home all the time. Still nice, but no more great conversations. About ten years ago, she had a very nice wagon that she pulled a grandchild around the property with. When that child outgrew it she gave me the wagon. I still use it on property to haul equipment and tools around.

I should have waited on the poison ivy treatment. It rained half an inch or so this morning. Likely the treatments needs renewed when it dries up. Expensive stuff to go wasting like that.

I hate it when that happens! I've wasted a lot of garden products through the exact same thing - rain has fallen when we've been promised a dry spell, and the whole process has been nullified!

We are in a drought. I blame my lack of foresight on habit based on that fact.