What I did today -instead- of Rocketry.

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It's getting closer to where I could inundate this thread with maple syrup stuff :) It's the only hobby I have that at least pays for itself. By my numbers, I'm entirely in the black now after a few years of equipment acquisition and build (made my own evaporator and RO system). Hopefully this year is better than the crummy season last year.

Got my storage tanks for sap and reverse osmosis and remote sugar bush collection and transport barrels all cleaned up and ready to go yesterday. Did some inventory work and ordered bottle caps to ensure I had enough. Had to tape/seal the manifold on my tubing vaccuum pump so that's all set as well. Not much longer and I'll be putting up tubing. I have to put it up and take it down every year since some trees are on a neighbor's land and the remote trees were the property of a coworker (new ownership this year, but they want me to keep making syrup with the trees).
 
It's getting closer to where I could inundate this thread with maple syrup stuff :) It's the only hobby I have that at least pays for itself. By my numbers, I'm entirely in the black now after a few years of equipment acquisition and build (made my own evaporator and RO system). Hopefully this year is better than the crummy season last year.

Got my storage tanks for sap and reverse osmosis and remote sugar bush collection and transport barrels all cleaned up and ready to go yesterday. Did some inventory work and ordered bottle caps to ensure I had enough. Had to tape/seal the manifold on my tubing vaccuum pump so that's all set as well. Not much longer and I'll be putting up tubing. I have to put it up and take it down every year since some trees are on a neighbor's land and the remote trees were the property of a coworker (new ownership this year, but they want me to keep making syrup with the trees).
Depending upon how big your operation is a good source of stainless steel tanks is dairy milk tanks. If the refrigeration coils go bad you can pic them up fairly inexpensively.
 
Depending upon how big your operation is a good source of stainless steel tanks is dairy milk tanks. If the refrigeration coils go bad you can pic them up fairly inexpensively.

Yeah, someday I'll try to get a working bulk tank and then I can keep concentrated sap longer and be able to have some larger boils. I tap about 100 trees and boiling raw sap with that many taps made for really long days and nights. With the RO I only boil a few hours here and there, which is very good for the marriage :)
 
Took the kitteh to get groomed. (Basically a bath and nail trim.) She's been sleeping in the same place most of the day since she got home.
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When I kept felines, I'd start them out as kittens getting them acclimated with me trimming their nails. Most of them got used to it as I gave them a treat afterwords. Same thing with bathing. I started them out young bathing following up with a treat. They acclimated better to nail clipping though. Bathing they wouldn't struggle as much but they still cried and would jump out if I took my hand off them.
Only domestic cat I know that actually likes water is the Turkish Van. I saw a fellow walking his Turkish Van in a park with a lake. He had the cat on a harness with a long reel leash. Sure enough, when the cat got to the waters edge, "kersplash" and jumped right in. Funny thing to see a cat dog paddle but it was obvious it liked to go for a swim. I said to the owner, "Turkish Van right?" He smiled at me and said, "Yup." He was surprised I knew that as most people look at him and the cat dumbfounded.
The cat paddled around for awhile and the owner gradually and slowly reeled the cat in. Cat got out, shook off like a dog and owner toweled it down so not to get the car too wet.
Kurt (sorry for being OT but I couldn't resist when someone talks about cat grooming)
 
When I kept felines, I'd start them out as kittens getting them acclimated with me trimming their nails. Most of them got used to it as I gave them a treat afterwords. Same thing with bathing. I started them out young bathing following up with a treat. They acclimated better to nail clipping though. Bathing they wouldn't struggle as much but they still cried and would jump out if I took my hand off them.
Only domestic cat I know that actually likes water is the Turkish Van. I saw a fellow walking his Turkish Van in a park with a lake. He had the cat on a harness with a long reel leash. Sure enough, when the cat got to the waters edge, "kersplash" and jumped right in. Funny thing to see a cat dog paddle but it was obvious it liked to go for a swim. I said to the owner, "Turkish Van right?" He smiled at me and said, "Yup." He was surprised I knew that as most people look at him and the cat dumbfounded.
The cat paddled around for awhile and the owner gradually and slowly reeled the cat in. Cat got out, shook off like a dog and owner toweled it down so not to get the car too wet.
Kurt (sorry for being OT but I couldn't resist when someone talks about cat grooming)
No problem, Kurt!

The groomer said Lagertha didn't much like the bath and wasn't too fond of the blow-dryer, either. Hehe...go figure!

She definitely got treats when she got home.
 
We bath our sphynx weekly and our Devon rex from time to time if he gets himself really dirty. Neither of them mind. Likewise we trim claws without a problem. Our cats even understand the phrase "resistance is futile" and will give up resisting if I mutter it.

I thought I did great when I got Olive to give me a high-five on command. . . bowing-down to resistance is futile. . .

Sandy.
 
-Read a chunk of "The Collected Neil the Horse" - I needed some mindless non-digital fun - it touts itself as "the world's only musical comic book"
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-Had a confrontational board meeting and spent part of the day strategizing around damage control and wondering why I volunteer my time for such things :D I considered resigning, but thankfully some other board members talked me off the ledge - they're good people in a strange situation
-The ever exciting thrill of grocery shopping - mask mandates have returned where I'm living so I just see peoples' eyes again
-Read a chapter of Edward Bernay's Propaganda from 1928 - he's arguably one of the least known influential people of the 20th century, for better or worse, but a fascinating read either way your tendencies fall
-Got caught up on the YouTube channel "George Japan" - I study Japanese off and on and he posts good videos about Japanese culture and language
-It was far too cold to even look outside today... lots of huddling up with brain time
-Listened to Brian Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets for the first time in eons
-Heard from a co-worker that his second son is coming far earlier than expected and he also had a job interview planned today - not an ideal combination
-Thought about when I can finish the rocket I started months ago - I need warm weather... probably in another month or so - queue the song "Anticipation" - sadly, when I hear that song now all I can see are ketchup commercials...
-Added a few pieces to my Zasu Pitts collection - it's pretty easy to collect things that nobody else seems to want...
-That included the glass slide below from 1926 that was projected onto silent movie screens as early "previews" - and the woman pictured is not Zasu Pitts, but her name at least appears on it... also, the "Alan Hale" mentioned was the father of the Skipper on Gilligan's Island...

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Took one of the cats to the Vets for shots and a check up. Took another cat last Friday and another cat goes to the Vet for the same shots and a check up on Friday. The one that hasn't gone yet has probably heard from the other two that if you see one of the people with a towel run and hide. We grab the cats with a towel to save our skin and not hurt the cat. The only problem with taking the cats to the Vets is now they are not speaking to me.
 
Went to on a trip to Lowe's and to check the roads to see if it was safe for the wife to go to rehearsal tonight or not due to the ice storm yesterday.

Task 1: Get chlorine tablets for the pool. Outdoor section was closed due to inclement weather and that's where they keep pool stuff. Looked outside, saw no ice (completely dry) and know that the pool chemicals are right next to the door and under the covered section. Hmm. Found a group of 3 employees near the door talking about clothes dryers and asked one if I could go out and grab the one specific thing and I knew where it was. He said "Its closed, but let me ask my boss." The boss was standing there with the other 2 and he asked the boss, who told me "The store manager said its closed, so its closed." I re-iterated the lack of ice and knowledge of the location right next to the door and he said "I can call the manager if you want." I decided to move on to task 2.

Task 2: Get a sheet of material (4'x8') and get it broken down into 16"x32" pieces for use/transport. I drove my truck, but didn't take the bed cover off due to the weather and I need 16"x32" pieces for this project anyway. Got a flat cart, grabbed the third piece down (since the top pieces are always trashed due to banding, handling etc. and proceeded to navigate toward the panel saw. As I got almost all the way there, a guy looked at me (bad mood), slid the stair-step thing they use sometimes a little bit with his foot (wasn't in my way at all, but I think it was to convey inconvenience for him) and he said "Saw's broke." Hmm. I asked "Do you think it'll be fixed in a day or two?", as I really didn't want to have to figure out how to transport the wood full size because of the bed cover and didn't really need to deliver the project until Friday. He said "Maybe (kind of a pick-up in his voice, like he seemed optimistic). But, its been broke for a week, so maybe not."

I bought the wood, loaded it, did some careful strapping so my bed cover could be open but not damaged and headed on to task 3.

Task 3: Dinner at Bojangles. I got to the drive-thru and ordered the 3-wing chicken dinner (3 drums and 3 wings still connected for those outside of the South East). "I'm sorry, sir, we don't have any chicken with bones in it right now." Hmm. OK, give me the supremes (chicken strips) and pull forward. It takes about 5 minutes, but they were waiting on fresh fries and I got my food. It was hot, well prepared and, while not what I wanted, was tasty.

So, on one hand, the trip was a complete catastrophe. But, on the other hand, I got what I needed for a customer, broke it down into usable pieces once I got home and will deliver the job 2 days early (unless something goes wrong tomorrow!?!?!?), ate some 'well prepared' fast food instead of 'cold/clammy' fast food, got home safe, told the wife the roads were OK, she got there safe and got home safe. At the end of the day, I think the Lowe's trip turned out fine.

Sandy.
 
They just stop fighting and let out a sigh of resignation.
I also forgot to add that if I say "Kiss kiss" to the boy cat he will touch noses with you.

And either of the cats can always be patted if I say "Pat the puss" (or flick my index and middle fingers together). They know that all they will ever get if I say that is a pat.
 
Give the man a (cheap) cigar! Lots of them here, saying “Bruce, Bruce, Bruce”. 🤠
I have been up close and personal with at least one of them. Our honeymoon was eight weeks of four-wheel driving from Melbourne to Cape York (the pointy bit at the top for non-Aussies ;)), then back down through the centre (Ayers rock et al). At Seisia village up the top I was holding one of those frogs, a really big fella about 5" body length IIRC, and getting my freshly-minted wife to take a pic. She took too long and the frog jumped from my hands to squarely onto my face. Very loud and very cute critters. It sounded like somebody was playing a frog over the PA system, but it was just the frog croaking in the natural environment.
 
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Took one of the cats to the Vets for shots and a check up. Took another cat last Friday and another cat goes to the Vet for the same shots and a check up on Friday. The one that hasn't gone yet has probably heard from the other two that if you see one of the people with a towel run and hide. We grab the cats with a towel to save our skin and not hurt the cat. The only problem with taking the cats to the Vets is now they are not speaking to me.
A bribe of people tuna will probably clear their memories.
Jim
 
Hopped on a plane to Anchorage, now sitting here for two days and getting paid while I wait for my usual plane to pass through on its way back from China... Then the real fun of another 18 days of riding around on a 747 starts.
 
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