R. I. P. Captain Sack

Captain Sack passed Christmas night.  He was as comfortable as possible, indoors and warm.
He brought joy to humans and beasts alike during his life from 2005 to 2010. He was a good boy.
He will be missed.

A HISTORY LESSON FOR DUMMIES

A HISTORY LESSON FOR DUMMIES

Have you ever wondered who first uttered the phrase "You Gotta Be Shittin' Me?"

Well, it just so happens to have originated through the Father of Our country, way back when George Washington was crossing the Delaware river with his troops.  There were 33 (remember this number) in Washington's boat.  It was extremely dark and storming furiously and the water was tossing them about.  Finally, Washington grabbed Corporal Peters (remember this name) and stationed him at the front of the boat with a lantern.  He ordered him to keep swinging it, so they could see where they were heading.

Corporal Peters, through driving rain and cold, continued swinging the lantern back and forth, back and forth.  Then a big gust of wind and a wave hit and threw Corporal Peters and his lantern into the Delaware.   Washington and his troops searched for nearly an hour trying to find Corporal Peters, but to no avail.  All of them felt terrible, for the Corporal had been one of their favorites.

Sometime later, Washington and his troops landed on the other side, wet and totally exhausted.  He rallied the troops and told them that they must go on.

Another hour later, one of his men said, 'General, I see lights ahead.'  They trudged toward the lights and came upon a huge house.  What they didn't know was that this was a house of ill repute, hidden in the forest to serve all who came.

General Washington pounded on the door, his men crowding around him.  The door swung open, and much to his surprise stood a beautiful woman.  A huge smile came across her face, to see so many men standing there.

Washington was the first to speak, 'Madam, I am General George Washington and these are my men.  We are tired, wet, exhausted, and desperately need warmth and comfort.'

Again, the Madam looked at all the men standing there, and with a broad smile on her face, said, 'Well, General, you have come to the right place.  We can surely give you warmth and comfort.  How many men do you have?'

Washington replied, 'Well, Madam, there are 32 of us without Peters.'

And the Madam said, 'You gotta be shittin me.'

Powder Room Renovation

This week I have been renovating a small hallway bathroom for a retired couple.
Here are some before and after photos of the job in progress.

The wallpaper came down, but the tile floor remained.

The vanity sink, counter, mirror and light fixture tossed out.

Wallpaper came down easily.

Bisque tiles with 1/8" spacers going up.

Field and bullnose tiles in place, waiting for grout.

Tiles grouted and sealed with reworked toilet, wall fixtures and new sink in place.

Cabinet painted, trim, light and mirror up.

Sammy Seal of Approval

Thanksgiving Weekend 2010

I managed to get it together and shingle the shed/workshop roof this weekend.
Captain Sack supervised, but as usual he slept on the job.

Where's Capt. Sack?

Aha!

I am thankful that I escaped the roofing job virtually injury free.

My Jailbroken iPhone 4 ver 4.1

I used the recent green pois0n jailbreak app which worked flawlessly.

http://www.iphone4jailbreak.org/greenpois0n-jailbreak.html

Social Network

The movie was the best I've seen in a while.  I see Academy Award nominations for it.

September Trip to Chicago

Earlier this month I drove to Chicago for the weekend to visit Chris and Xiaoqi and see some of the city.
Friend Marleigh tagged along. First two photos from tour boat ride around city.

Chicago Skyline

Chris & Xiaoqi at Chicago Millennium Park's Jay Pritzker Pavilion The pavilion stands 120-feet high, with a billowing "headdress" of stainless steel ribbons that frame the proscenium opening, connecting to an overhead trellis of crisscrossing steel pipes that define the lawn seating area.

Crown Fountain Designed by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa, the Crown Fountain features two 50-foot high glass block towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers are activated with changing video images and lights, and water cascades from the top of each, and from the front as shown.

When not at work, the love bugs can be found here in their comfortable new home

Scott's Summer in Costa Rica with BEAUTIFUL Photos

Scott is an excellent amateur nature photographer who recently landed a new job monitoring wildlife in Key Largo, FL.

Scott's Photo Album #1

Album #2 - MORE Snakes, Spiders and other CRITTERS

Florida Visit

This week I had the pleasure (mostly) of visiting FL.  The highlight was getting to see Ryan, his new home, and his workplace.  Unfortunately, I did not get to see Abby who was out of state.

Trouble Befalls Me on Ryan's Day of Birth

My truck clutch decided today was the day to completely break.  I got a 105 mile tow and will commence clutch repair manana.  I highly recommend AAA Premier and Eddie's Towing (The Plains, VA).  Found out that Robert Duvall got out of the restaurant biz.

Update to original post - I acquired a flywheel, clutch kit, and rear engine seal, then took truck and parts to local shop (with a lift) for repairs.  They replaced my parts and also replaced the hydraulic line.  Labor was just under $300.  Parts were also about $300.  I'm back on the road.

Capt. Sack Greets New Arrival

A young dog showed up on the doorstep several days ago, and instantly became Capt. Sack's BFF.
He shall be named Rocky.  This is in honor of NM Rocky and Mary.

Birthday Project

Changing the rear differential gear cover gasket on the '92 GMC which was leaking gear oil.
A Dirty Job as Mike Rowe would say.

Scott's Costa Rica Travelogue

Click HERE for Photos from Tortuguero

BP Alternative?

100MW concentrated solar power plant to be built in the UAE

250,000 Miles

On the eve of my truck's 1/4 Million milestone, I replaced the water pump.  It had developed a periodic fluid leak.  All dry now, and truck runs a bit cooler.  92 GMC Sierra 1500

Gulf Oil Disaster

Live feed from British Petroleum's underwater ROV:

http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/homepage/STAGING/local_assets/bp_homepage/html/rov_stream.html

More reliable live feed:

http://www.wkrg.com/gulf_oil_spill/spill_cam/

Stairway to Basement...(not Led Zep)

This week I was hired to replace a stairway and here is the story board...

Avatar 3D

I was treated to a viewing of Avatar 3D this weekend and enjoyed the experience.  The 3D effect was good and I can't imagine seeing the 2D version and liking the movie nearly as much.  I thought having Sigourney Weaver's character smoking cigarettes was a stupid move, not adding anything of value to the movie.  The hi tech video screens used by the military were interesting, as were the airships.  It was hard to know when the real and the CGI began and ended.