What's everybody doing today?

[backlash]

I went bass fishing again. Caught several so that was good.
On the way home a guy pulling a travel trailer passed a semi. He realized at the last moment he did not have room so he whipped back into his lane in front of the semi. The trailer started to fishtail that caused his pickup to fishtail. Smoke was coming off all the tires and he was coming at us head on.
My nephew slammed on the breaks and moved as far right as possible and the pickup and trailer swerved back into the other lane at the last second and missed us by inches. The semi he was passing was right on top of both of us. Some how the pickup regained control and didn't crash.
I can say with no hesitation and no exaggeration we were with in inches and seconds of getting killed.
If the pickup and trailer didn't kill us the semi would have.
You can't get hit head on at 60 MPH with a semi involved and live.
It's been over 4 hours and I'm still pretty shaken up.
I guess it wasn't our time.

 

[Spikedriver]

@backlash life is a game of inches, and you had just enough inches today.

 

[TeeJ]

@Spikedriver & @backlash glad none of the accidents were serious. Some days I'm amazed we even have the guts to get behind the wheel in these deathtraps we call cars!

 

[Patchouli]

Grieving the loss of another family member, third one since May. A nephew, mid 30s, issues with diabetes. He was one of the smartest people I have ever known, great career, but had been struggling lately, cannot hardly believe he is gone. Found out a few days ago but didn't hardly allow myself to feel it until today. Very sad.

 

[Mel]

Went to work. Bought 2 kombuchas...one for me and one for my mom...to see if she likes them. Rescheduled an oil change that the stupid dealer canceled.

 

[Magpie]

Sincere condolences to you @Patchouli
I'm really tired today; but have visitors coming later that I can't put off, so going to suck it up and do some dinner prep (Pie and veg) and get some gardening done. the barrels are nearly out of water so will have to bucket a bit to the polytunnel. Have some 'homework' for my radio course I need to get cracking on also.

 

[Patchouli]

Thank you, @Magpie
Good on you for the radio course. I saw it was being offered by my church guys again but I’ve got another class I’ve been working on. If I were retired maybe I could do the radio course. My brain is along for the ride, poor thing, while my will and desires are chomping at the bit.
Gardening would be a great help but I don’t garden well in Texas in the summer, or anytime.

 

[Bacpacker]

Grieving the loss of another family member, third one since May. A nephew, mid 30s, issues with diabetes. He was one of the smartest people I have ever known, great career, but had been struggling lately, cannot hardly believe he is gone. Found out a few days ago but didn't hardly allow myself to feel it until today. Very sad.

Prayer out for you and your family Patch. So sad to lose one that young

 

[zannej]

Sunday I went and met my friend got him some gas, groceries, & paper towels. Got some ribs from the deli that we shared. Brought friend out and remembered that the lines should be run into a bucket to clear sediment before attaching (I didn't remember until I was driving in). So he drained until clear, took off old supply lines, hooked up new ones, watched them for a bit to make sure they weren't leaking, and then I took him home.
Monday I had major fatigue and slept all day. Only got up to go to the bathroom & cook for mom.
Tuesday I bingewatched The Crazy Framer Guy on Youtube (he has a series showing him framing houses by himself) went to Samsclub with my brother, got back & unloaded groceries, cooked for Mom, cleaned up cat messes, & napped.
Now I'm up and about to bingewatch some more. I'm on episode 29 of season 2 of the building a house alone series.

 

[Patchouli]

Prayer out for you and your family Patch. So sad to lose one that young

Thank you. It is incredibly sad. I’m okay but grief is different for me now. Nothing is worse than the loss of a child, even if they were an adult.

 

[Pearl]

Sorry Patch, don't like to hear stuff like that!! A whole life ahead of him and someone who could really contribute to society!! Prayers for you and your family!!

 

[Pearl]

Cleaning an empty house that was just sold!! New paint and flooring. Getting it ready for the new owner to move in this weekend!! Then running by Walmart! Don't want to, but have to go!!

 

[Chaosdawn]

@Spikedriver @backlash I'm so glad everyone is ok in both those incidents. Scary stuff. I do bet the driver of the pick-up probably soiled his pants though.

@Patchouli I'm so sorry to hear that, condolences to you and your family.

I'm just stuck at work trying to look busy. I'd rather actually be busy but that hasn't been the case lately.

 

[Wingnut]

An observation on certain drivers from a former trucker's perspective: many who climb behind the steering wheels of RVs or who tow travel trailers are NOT really familiar with their vehicles, especially in summertime when tourist season is upon us. These drivers don't bother with pre-trip inspections, hence the large number of tire blowouts with RVs or combo vehicles fishtailing all over the road. These drivers aren't aware of the performance limitations of RVs and combo vehicles, hence the dangerous passing attempts on skinny roads with oncoming vehicles, or the crunching/side-swiping of other vehicles due to off-tracking. I could go on here, but I think it might be better to start another thread on road safety in the near future. In this Brave New Third World, road courtesy has gone the way of the dinosaur, so it behooves modern drivers to be aware of their surroundings, be aware of developing situations on the road, and drive in a wholly defensive manner, never expecting the other driver to know the 'Rules of the Road' or to have the least bit of common sense.

Having said this, I will be on the road to town within an hour or so, and I am SO thankful to live in the boondocks where traffic is light. We have our share of big rigs on the highway, but *most* truck drivers are better trained in safety than the average driver, so I don't worry too much about them. However, there are still some things one should NOT do around trucks, I will get into those later when I create a 'Road Safety' thread. The worst offenders I see among the general motoring public here in Otero County, NM, are the idiots speeding through town, the dummies making sudden and often rapid lane changes with no signals, and of course the stupid tailgaters. What can I say about tailgating? It's rude, stupid & downright dangerous... yet morons still do it on a regular basis. Meh, like I said, I'll get into all that later, I need to get going here at the ol' hacienda so I can run some errands. Backlash & Spikedriver, I'm glad that you & yours are okay, ya gotta watch those fooliots out there on the road, otherwise they'll drag you into a fatality wreck (and YOU might be the fatality).

 

[backlash]

I think it might be better to start another thread on road safety in the near future.

Good idea. I'm sure it will be interesting and scary at the same time.

 

[snappy1]

I'm glad you and your families are ok Spikedriver and Backlash!
I'm sorry about your nephew, Patchouli!

I walked first this morning.
Picked up friend and went to thrift shop and then Walmart.
Came home and put stuff away.
I might pressure can some frozen (thawed) meatballs in pasta sauce this afternoon.
Maybe take eBay photos.

 

[Wingnut]

Good idea. I'm sure it will be interesting and scary at the same time.

Haha, maybe so... but I'm gonna create such a thread for safety's sake, there will be some tips from this former trucker for others to consider, and those tips might just keep someone out of trouble. I just returned from running errands in town and so I'm beat tired, especially after all the strenuous weeding sessions done lately, therefore I will wait until I'm fully refreshed before I create my 'Road Safety' thread. Perhaps this weekend, that'll be a good time to do it... today, I just feel like relaxing and recovering, as I'm still stiff & sore, lol.

On top of that, the bugs have been tearing me up during those weeding sessions, and I have a bunch of weird bite marks and red rash areas on my arms and lower legs... I've been slathering Benadryl and Cortizone lotion(s) all over these areas, but they're still itching something fierce. Scratching the areas does NOT help, it just causes more inflammation, lol. Maybe some of the other (non-goathead) weeds I've pulled have been toxic or irritating in some way... either way, I'll be heller glad when 'bug season' has ended!

One of today's stops was at the public library, where I exchanged DVDs and picked up some more Westerns to read. I should be good for another week, I'm slowly working my way through the large DVD & Western novel collections, lol. I strike a balance between TV and reading, as I don't always wanna sit up and watch TV, even though my home theater setup is pretty sweet. Samsung 6 Series 65" curved screen, soundbar, subwoofer, Sony DVD player & decent Internet for the Roku Streaming Stick.

WELL, I'M BACK TO THIS COLD BEER, IT TASTES GOOD AFTER RUNNING AROUND FOR 2 OR 3 HOURS...

 

[Pearl]

Working!! Haven't posted in this thread for several days because there is nothing exciting to post! Just working, overscheduled, going 7 days a week at the moment!! At least I'm busy!! I know a few others who clean for a living and they don't have enough work! So........

 

[Amish Heart]

Going bin shopping this morning, and probably not to moms to visit since little granddaughter is on day 7 of covid. I'll be cleaning house the rest of the day. Company coming tomorrow for the long weekend.

 

[Morgan101]

Today is Practice Day. I will head to the range, and see if I can hit a golf ball where I am aiming hit. Each week has shown steady improvement, and I am encouraged. Lessons helped me tremendously, and I would highly recommend them. Now I know how to hit a ball properly, and if something goes wrong, I know what I did wrong.

If you don't practice properly you aren't getting practice. You are just getting exercise. Not that I don't need exercise, but I do want to improve.

 

[zannej]

Missed your message earlier. I'm very sorry for your loss, Patchouli.

Slept most of Wednesday bc I was still feeling exhausted. I anticipated Mom being hungry when I got up so I washed dishes (my brother didn't clean up after himself) and cooked for Mom. Did a bit of cleanup.

Woke up early & have been researching how to build decks (I want two small landings outside my back doors to make it less of a hazard carrying stuff out those doors). I organized some stuff and am trying to motivate myself to go work on leveling my bathroom floor. Now that I have running water in there, I want to get that done and see if I can get my flooring down and install the toilet. I'm really hoping the toilet will fit. It requires a 12" rough-in but I think I have 11-1/4" or something. Need to measure that again.

 

[Wingnut]

Light duty today, I'm still feeling a bit worn down from the brutal weeding sessions... ugh. I'll do some watering and pull a few weeds, but my heart's not really in it... if some wizard could magically transform these weeds into hot women in skimpy bathing suits, I'd be more motivated to get out there in the yard, lol. Napalm is looking like a darned good option to deal with the rest of these blasted weeds...

The good news is that I have plenty o' beer in the fridge, and I still have some good food too... so I may watch movies this afternoon, I watched 'MONTE WALSH' yesterday and it was pretty good, that bronc-busting scene was excellent, lol. I'm thinking the movie director stole that window-crashing scene from 'THE LONG RIDERS'---another good flick. You know what they say: imitation is the most sincere form of flattery!

Kittens are quiet right now, I guess they're catching a nap after the usual morning ruckus. Those blasted little varmints are really doing a number on my home, I'll have to vacuum sometime this weekend and straighten everything out, lol. It reminds me of picking up the mess after a party at my home in Coronado, only there are less beer bottles involved. Man, my friends & I could drink some beer back in the day... heaps of dead soldiers all over the place!

 

[backlash]

We are heading to Corvallis Oregon today, a 5 hour trip.
We're going to spend 5 nights with my cousin and her husband, my old Navy buddy.
We might go on a charter fishing trip if it's not all booked up.
Mostly we just need to get away and not dwell on all that's happening.

 

[Mel]

From yesterday: our neighbor told us, "I come over here every day so I can eat."

 

[snappy1]

Walked first.
Picked figs, okra and peppers-- light harvest today.
Walked dogs.
Collapsed in front of lap top! It's hot and humid still.
Set up Humana account.
Still have to take ebay photos.
Read and go to Bible Study tonight.

Pressure canned the frozen meatballs in pasta sauce (doctored up) yesterday. That turned out very good. Found some cooked frozen spaghetti squash--dinner.

 

[Amish Heart]

Went to the 2 bin shopping stores, 99 cents an item at one, $1.99 at another. Stopped in at DG next door and they had qt jars for $10 a flat. Don't like the lids on them, though, but I have lots of Ball lids. Little kittens are crawling out from under the deck where mama cat has hid them. Saw 4 out of 7 today. Need to go into our small town to the feed store this afternoon for chicken feed, and to check the mail. Little granddaughter feeling better. It's been a week.

 

[LadyLocust]

We are heading to Corvallis Oregon today, a 5 hour trip.
We're going to spend 5 nights with my cousin and her husband, my old Navy buddy.
We might go on a charter fishing trip if it's not all booked up.
Mostly we just need to get away and not dwell on all that's happening.

Safe travels and much laughter ~

 

[Magus]

My day so far:
Discovered I was banned from the survival forums for a touchy post.
Scratched myself.
b1tched about my gout.
Told god what I thought of this junkpile he stuck me in.
Stared at the ceiling.
Cussed like a sailor going to take #1
Cussed even louder when I had to do #2 half an hour later.
Read the news and decided depopulation might not be a bad idea.
Scratched myself again.
Petted my tomcat when he came to see me.
Stared at the laundry and felt pathetic.
Stared at unstored preps, felt more pathetic.
Stared at the tequila and decided it wasn't worth the effort..
Came in here and whined a bit, didn't help.
Realized I'd skipped my meds two days running, this will be fun!
Decided to eat and go back to sleep, to hell with it.

 

[zannej]

Wingnut, I feel you on those weeds. If mine weren't so close to the house I'd go scorched earth on them-- literally. Kittens are adorable! My friend's tortie just had another litter. They are so adorable! I was holding one and it was trying to hiss at me. No teeth and eyes aren't even open. I'm going to keep visiting to get it used to belly rubs and cuddles. Our cat, Namir, is absolutely obsessed with belly rubs because my brother used to rub his tummy when he was a kitten. I hope you get feeling better.

Backlash, Have a safe trip!

Magus, I hope you get feeling better as well.

I got up and did coat #3 of the floor leveling mix. Got distracted by mom while trying to measure out. Had to stop and go do something for her. Misplaced my good trowel. Got the ratios reversed & put too much water. Spent the next 15min sifting lumps out of the powder and pouring it into a dry container and then into the mix until it got the right consistency. It splattered all over when it had too much water. Filled in some pits and got it looking better. Went back over an hour later to check & accidentally stepped in it and messed up a spot. It's smooth enough now that it shouldn't matter and it will be hidden under the flooring. Hope it sets up properly. Going to sand it before it gets too hard but want it to dry up a bit more. My back gave out on me so I had to stop and didn't get the tools cleaned up bc I had to lie down.

Went to the grocery store and then stopped by to see kittens at my friend's house (and drop off cat food).

Got home and ate some watermelon (I splurged and got one of those containers with cut up watermelon bc it looked so juicy and I was thirsty and overheated). Now I'm taking a break.

 

[Wingnut]

Well, I got a good 2-hour weeding session in this morning, managed to pull heaps of larger weeds and stack 'em... on the southern end of my property I have a compost pile the size of a Volkswagen, lol, and it's only one of five piles. It's now the largest pile, but that's okay, it can sit for awhile and the foliage should shrink as it dries out.

Hey, remember that weed I told y'all about, the 'science experiment' I was letting grow? Thing was pushing 9' tall, so I figured I should hack it down with my machete... felt like a logger felling a 300' Sitka Spruce tree, had to fell it in a certain direction so as not to kill one of my neighbors, lol. I took photos of the monster weed, and yes, it was nearly 9' tall!

I'm glad I went ahead and cut down that weed, if I had let it grow any taller it would have become 'THE WEED THAT ATE ALAMOGORDO!!!' I ain't jokin' either, I've never seen a weed grow that tall that fast, I had to hack at it several times with my machete just to cut the trunk, which was at least 2" in diameter, maybe a little more. Here's the monster weed...

Crazy, huh? I figured it was best to chop it down before it grew any larger... good news is that it has no thorns!!! Guess I'll grab another beer and think about watching a movie... I had some iced tea & lemonade earlier, along with about a quart of water before I jumped in the shower. I'm nearly through both gallon jugs of tea & lemonade, I'll buy more pronto...

P.S. Next session, I'll take a pic of the pile o' weeds at the southern end of my property, it dwarfs this pile, lol.