Summer nosh and other tidbits

I'll tell you what, class-this summer has flown by. I've been busy, obviously.

So how's it going, then?

It's been very unseasonable here for a Midwest July. A couple of mornings it's felt like early October-the air cool and dry. One almost expects to see the leaves turning color when it's like that outside.

Still working on cleaning and sorting the parents' place. We've made progress-most of the rooms are navigable, if you discount all the boxes lying around. I think we're going to have an auction to get rid of a lot of the stuff. A ways to go-but a hell of a lot better than 2 months ago at this time. It's still depressing to me, fighting all of the crap. But what are ya gonna do, hmm? Mom has done her best to do small tasks, and I'm not too sure the work isn't a bad thing. It keeps her busy and rebuilds stamina. We're fighting a delaying action, because assisted living isn't terribly far away-but every little bit of independence helps in that fight.

My brother's house is taking shape. The upper floor (except for the bathroom) is for all intents and purposes done. The turret is finished except for window trim, which won't take terribly long. His big project over the past month was getting a flight of stairs built. And a first in the whole history of do-it-yourself-they came out perfectly the first time. We still need to side the garage and put in a door. That should wrap up the big outdoor projects there. Still a fair bit of work on the lower floor, but if we can get the place sided and buttoned up, the indoor stuff can be done when it's -20 outside if necessary.

As for me-still working 32 hours/week. Not that the day off hasn't been a godsend because I needed the time badly, but I'd certainly like to get back to 40 productive hours/week. Reckon it beats 0 hours/week working, though. Oddly enough, there hasn't been a lot of leisure time.

Evidently I got into some poisonous plant a week or so back as I've a nice itchy, scabby mess on my left shin. I had the same thing back in 1992, and it brewed up into staph cellulitis. Spent five days in the hospital for that, and the doctor told me that it's entirely possible to lose a leg if that sets in heavy. If staph gets really bad, it'll kill you deader than Salt Lake City on a Monday night. Lesson learned this time-a course of Keflex and some big-named topical cream for me. It doesn't hurt, but it itches. Rather a shame.

You bunch of singing potatoes have helped keep me sane over the past few months. Thanks much, everyone. Good to read that Havock is working on getting a new gig. It's been great reading Therbs's account of his trek across Europe. Hopefully he missed out on the Techno Twins in all of those hostels. Bangar's struggles with The Leech have been interesting-Australia's a rather big country and it's a shame Leech can't get lost in it. Al has been doing some cool stuff on pirates and privateers. Yarbo has been better than ESPN as far as his sports coverage, though that's faint praise since ESPN doesn't do all that well sometimes. Our Nat appears to be back with cool writings as well. Murph's writing and teaching appears to be moving forward. So many people and not enough time or space to mention them all. Well done to all of you!!

Late July here means that the vegetables in people's gardens are starting to come in. My brother has some cherry tomatoes ripening nicely. And they taste like tomatoes-not like a tennis ball, which is how the store-bought types taste. He provided me with a couple of cucumbers, which are currently sitting, sliced, along with some bits of sweet Vidalia onion in a sugar-vinegar brine. In a day or so, I'll be having me some right good refrigerator pickles. How's a big burger or pork chop, refrigerator pickles, tomato marinated in oil, and locally grown corn on the cob sound? Won't be long until the Michigan peaches are ready (best in the country by my estimation), and the fall will bring apples from the local orchards. Right now I'm liking my Gala apples all the way from New Zealand, but I'm ready for the local crop to come in.

Hmm-house, house, work, leg, props, nosh. That about covers it.

Cheers all!

yankeedog out.