Small Talk: The Welcome Mat

[Netfoot]

My blue-eyed boy!

Going to cook dinner right now. Will catch up later.

[Spunkygal]

So good to see you! When you have time, let us know if you went to the market yesterday! 

[luv2lurk]

I have been away for two weeks without Internet, electricity or running water and access only by boat - my choice of vacation in the woods by a lake, except the docks are busted so there was no swimming and many rainy days. Many books were read, the most interesting was The Winds of War. Drove home the parallels between Hitler and Putin.

So I'm late responding to a few posts.

I have no idea about gnats, but I do agree with 

On 7/18/2023 at 2:34 PM, Spunkygal said:

IMO, the actual citronella plant is more effective than a candle. You can put it/them in flower beds but I put them in pots and place strategically at the corners of the back porch. And it’s safe to break off some leaves and rub on you instead of using sprays. 

But I don't think the plants do anything themselves. You have to tear off a leaf and rub it on you. I have one that is over 30 years old - I bring it in every winter and it has pretty purple flowers in the summer (I think they are a member of the geranium family).

@Netfoot I am so happy to read of your new job. One cannot support a person and pup on sales of toaster tongs (although also glad to read they sold well). Interesting that a jar of instant coffee is more expensive than your tongs.

I know you will miss Brighton and this job is a huge adjustment for you and Mo. But would you consider letting him back in at night? He's going to feel punished with you going to work all day.

I hope all goes well on your first day, and beyond 

 

[Netfoot]

11 hours ago, luv2lurk said:

I have been away for two weeks without Internet, electricity or running water and access only by boat - my choice of vacation in the woods by a lake, except the docks are busted so there was no swimming and many rainy days.

It's the type of vacation you have to be in the mood for. When I was a boy living in Trinidad, folks would go "Down the islands" for vacations. The houses were lit by kerosene lanterns, water was collected from the roof when it rained and cooking was fine fire on a wood stove with driftwood. Sometimes a supply of drinking water and firewood or charcoal would be brought on the boat that the vacationers came by. The islands, by the way, were those that stretched in a chain from the north western tip of Trinidad over to Venezuela. The gaps between are known as the "bocas". My father worked at the bocas during WW-II commanding the tramp steamer that opened and closed the submarine nets which kept U-boats out of the natural harbour of the Gulf of Paria. The oil fields of Trinidad made it a location of some strategic importance in the Battle of The Atlantic. Incidentally, my brother's dying wish was that his ashes be taken from Canada and spread on the waters of the First Boca from a pirogue. His four children and two siblings fulfilled his wish on a beautiful, sunny day with hundreds and hundreds of pelicans floating around a safe distance from the pirogue, and a large number of frigates circling overhead.

Hmm. Seems like my attention has been drawn away. Enough to say that nowadays the houses down the islands rather than being built almost entirely of driftwood as in days gone by, are now all in the multimillion dollar mansion class and are equipped with every imaginable modern convenience.

In Barbados we had a similar area where houses were primitive, cooking was by wood stove, drinking water was collected off the roof and kerosene lamps were used at night. This area was Cattlewash, where I will be working from Wednesday, to help with the construction of a mega-million mansion for a duke. (Or is it an earl?)

11 hours ago, luv2lurk said:

Interesting that a jar of instant coffee is more expensive than your tongs.

A tiny jar of instant coffee can be bought for about 10 bucks, but it is so small you could probably drink the entire lot in a single day without getting the jitters. I can get a NESCAFÉ "3in1" for 99¢ and not have to worry about milk & sugar. But tea bags are 80 for $10:50 or something like that, and even having to buy milk & sugar, the price should be much lower than 99¢ a cup. 

11 hours ago, luv2lurk said:

I know you will miss Brighton and this job is a huge adjustment for you and Mo.

I will miss Brighton a lot. I met some good folks up there and regretfully suspect that I will not see any of them again. Sally, Katherine, Betty (Marva), and so forth. I most regret that I did not get a chance to say goodbye to Toni, who I have come to like very much but who has not been at Brighton for a month because she has been on vacation.

It rained on Friday afternoon and evening, thunderous, heavy rainfall for 15-20 minutes, repeated every hour or so. I wondered if it made any sense going, but it was my last day there and I wanted to tell Alison in person that I would not be back. And the rain stopped falling at midnight. 

Unfortunately it started again no sooner than I got to Brighton in the morning. It was so bad at least two vendors who are staunch regulars simply never showed,  several vendors packed up and left by 7:00 AM and most others spent the morning hemming and hawing about it. There were virtually zero customers to the degree that Alison returned each vendor's entrance fee. (I don't think she had to do so but she did it anyway.) Nobody got any sales except a new guy who was selling hot soup and cassava crackers. The soup was "healthy" and so very bland indeed, but the crackers were delicious! This guy sold out entirely, lucky man! Towards the end of the morning the food vendors we're walking from stall to stall giving their wares away rather than having to throw them away. 

I did something I rarely do when I am there: I bought some stuff. I bought vegetables from the farm stall. Cucumbers, bananas, two heads of pak choy and a breadfruit. And on the way home I stopped at the supermarket and bought salt breads, Eclipse crackers, cheese and a few things to make packed lunches for next week. Cheese 'n' cucumber cutters or crackers 'n' cheese will make a good lunch that can be easily packed and taken along. But I was supposed to buy a some "green bag" Purina for Mo and forgot. 

Mo has been eating a different type of chow for a week or so, and I wondered if that might be why he was doing late-night poos inside the house. So I determined to switch him back to his regular vittles and see if it made any difference.

The rain continued yesterday afternoon and it was very wet and rainy and Mo burrowed into the bedclothes come bedtime, obviously not wanting to be evicted from the premmesis. And I didn't want him out on a Dark & Stormy Night (with the robber band drawn close around the fire...) So he slept inside last night and did not poo. This morning I went shopping and returned with a green bag of Purina so he ate that today and we'll see what happens tonight. 

Hey Joe by Hendrix. Although not his own, he is considered to have recorded the definitive version of this song. But it has been recorded by artists everywhere. I also have the very heavy version by Deep Purple off their debut studio album, Shades Of... and one of these days I should attempt to assemble a collection of the most well-received interpretations of this track.

Ok so the car had more gas in it than at any time in the past year and I have 12 bucks in my pocket. Weather permitting, I intend to take Mo to the club tomorrow. I will throw the 12 bucks in the tank on the way home And that should give me enough gas to make it to Cattlewash several times. I should get a (small) pay packet on Friday to top up the tank. I have salt-breads and Eclipse biscuits. I've got some eggs I can boil. I have NZ cheddar, peanut butter and a somewhat overly sweet marmalade. Teabags, sugar & milk. I can take tea in a thermos or (if the site-office has a kettle) I can take the makings and brew up on site. If there is a microwave, I can take a sweet rice, a nice pasta meal or pretty much anything that I can cook at home the evening before. 

I will miss having Mo underfoot and I suspect he will feel a little neglected too, but that can't be helped. The gate will be locked to keep him safe inside and he will have food and water and a big garage to shelter foul weather in, so he will be fine. 

There are some things I don't know how I will manage, once I start working. Groceries can be purchased on the way home because the stores stay open late. Ditto gasoline. The poly-clinics are another matter. They are government operated so they won't be accessible early mornings or later in the evenings. I just got to hope there is a poly-clinic somewhere in St. Joseph or St. John that I can get to during my lunch break. Assuming I get a lunch break.... The ulcer in my mouth is no worse but no better either. And I have no idea how to get to see Dr. Kristi about it without skipping out on work which I am not willing to do. 

It will work out. It will work out.

I hope my breadfruit is ready to eat tomorrow. Because my mouth is springing with the thought. And I plan to test my blood sugar first thing in the morning. So it would be better to eat the breadfruit right after the test rather than just before the next one!

It's late. Mo is probably out on the steps. It would be typical if he refused to come inside on the very night that he is welcome inside again. I guess I'd better go lock the door and invite him to be inside it.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

7 hours ago, Netfoot said:

(Or is it an earl?)

Turns out he is a baron.

[Netfoot]

The breadfruit was delicious! And I didn't do anything fancy with it, I just boiled it in slightly salty water. Over the breadfruit was a sauce made from tuna with cucumber and pak choy. Some cilantro and pepper sauce and it came out tasty but not to the degree that it overpowered the 'fruit. 

Still got a big piece in the fridge. Might have some for dinner and save the rest for tomorrow. Tonight I could use minced beef, white cabbage, grated carrot and season with paprika. 

It's a dry, sunny day and in about an hour I will sling Mo in the car and set off for the club. Don't know who else (if anyone) will be there. Unka Rudy should be back from England by now and Mo will be pleased to see him if he is. I just hope Mo can contain his enthusiasm. 

Anyway, tomorrow will be a quiet day at home punctuated only by a short trip to drop off laundry. Wednesday morning, of course...

I have been doing research into poly-clinics. The one in Jemmot's lane is open until 10 PM, so I could go there after work. I'm just unsure if I can go there to draw down on a refill of a prescription that was originally filled in Wildey road. If nor, I will have to beg Dr. Kristi to write me a new prescription, but how will I get my hands on it? Maybe I can ask someone to pick it up for me. 

Anyway, I will have to be moving from here soon so I will end now and catch you all later. Maybe with pictures of a puppy in the wilds of St. Philip!

[Netfoot]

Mo at the club. Little rocket-ship!

Had to sit in my lap for 20 minutes and pant until helix his breathing returned to normal. Meanwhile, it was a lovely day

so it was a pleasure just to sit and breathe, before we went for a walk around the pond.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Plenty of water in the pond. Migratory waterfowl too. And nearly Mo who contemplated going after them, but reconsidered when he was foot-wet at the edge of the pond.

We continued around and Mo kept disappearing into the foliage. 

But he surfaced again pretty quickly. He likes to range ahead but he overshoots the turn and has to back-track to stay on course. Here he is exiting the bushes again.

[Netfoot]

Heading back to the clubhouse, Mo realized he was on the homestretch and took off. I didn't raise a stupid son.  In this photo of the arrival threshold with the clubhouse beyond (my, the place looks good!) If you zoom in you might find Mo lying on the deck next to his water bowl. 

My boy was happy to spend the remainder of the afternoon relaxing in the shade. Aussie flew and we chatted, with Mo coming over to get a pat and a head-rub from Austin every now and again.

Strange wind-noise from the van all the way home. Will have to give the van a  bit of a once-over in the morning to see if I can figure out what's causing it.

[Spunkygal]

I hope you get to see your friends at the market again. Sounds like a nice little group! Is your mouth sore any better this evening?

[Netfoot]

I'm sure I will see them again. In fact, I've been considering turning up on Saturday at 6:00 as a customer and buying my weeks vegetables and having a word or two with them all. But I will have to leave pretty soon so I can get to work for 7:15 to open up. I think the official start of the day is 7:30 and the official end is 4:30 but if I am responsible for opening up each morning and locking up at end of day... But I should be able to spend 40-45 minutes at the market before continuing on to work. 

44 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

Is your mouth sore any better this evening?

It is still there but maybe a little less painful. Hopefully it is slowly getting better again.

[Netfoot]

Marvin Gaye sings I Heard It Through The Grapevine Vine as I lie here waiting for the fan and the breeze in the window to dry my skin. Mo is outside pursuing goals of his own but eventually he will come in. Last night was the second night he slept inside and caused no problems in the kitchen or anywhere else. Oh, here he is now, very interested in my glass of lime squash (which needs more sugar). 

We had a very pleasant afternoon at the club chatting with Austin and watching him fly. He was flying a model powered by an OS .55 which is regarded widely as a strong, reliable and powerful engine in it's class. This particular example however.... More than once we thought it was a goner. Once, flying downwind, low over the pond, the model went dead stick. I warned Aussie that the pond was full of water, and he turned 90° to the strip, put the nose down to keep her flying, crossed the pond and arrived at the strip sideways, halfway along it's length. Turning another 90° right, he greased it onto the grass and using only half the runway rolled to a stop only a couple of yards from the departure threshold. Austin is a glider pilot who is often to be found at the cliff when conditions are right. A dead stick engine is a minor inconvenience to a glider guider and not the traumatic experience others often find it to be. 

Mo has a very good afternoon, I think. You may have seen an earlier video of Mo travelling by car? Well, when Mo realized where we were going the excitement ramped up by a couple orders of magnitude and I was practically deaf in my left ear by time I turned him loose in the club parking lot. You saw how he races around like a little Mo-missile, shooting off and disappearing and moments later reappearing from an unexpected direction, travelling at barely sub-sonic velocities. He really enjoys himself up there!

The only thing I regret is that Unka Rudy did not show. Mo would have been thrilled to see him. Apparently he has car trouble of some sort. But then, he's been away for months and the car has just been sitting there in the garage so he could have trouble with the battery, the tires, or any number of things.

I had more breadfruit for dinner. I like breadfruit. I bought it on Saturday and it was too hard still and I left it to ripen. Maybe I should have cooked it yesterday but it was fine today, although by tomorrow it would have probably been mushy. Mushy breadfruit is fine if you are making one of the most popular local dishes, breadfruit cou-cou. But as it happens, I think one of the worst things you can do with an ultra-versatile breadfruit is make it into cou-cou. Mind you, I will eat the stuff if it's made right.  It is much nicer than corn meal cou-cou which is the horrible national dish of the island and frequently made even more noxious by being pared with something called "okra slush". 

But anyhow, I pigged out on breadfruit today, eating a large portion for lunch and another large portion for dinner. And the thing cost me a whole $3.30 for what was a large one. Next time I buy one I might try making fries or even thinly slicing and frying up to make chips.

Come to think of it, I have an oven! Breadfruit is often stuffed and baked. Never tried it, but I've got the oven now...

23:59 and my eyes are shutting down. I will end here and consider nodding off. But the door is still wide open and Mo is probably lying on the top step. So I will invite him in and lock up. 

[Spunkygal]

Okra slush? 😳 I don’t want to know what that is! I love fried okra but okra slush?? Under no circumstances are you allowed to post a pic of that abomination! 

[andidante]

2 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Okra slush? 😳 I don’t want to know what that is! I love fried okra but okra slush?? Under no circumstances are you allowed to post a pic of that abomination! 

I just Googled it. It does not look pretty! LOL

[Netfoot]

3 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

I don’t want to know what that is!

No, you don't.

50 minutes ago, andidante said:

It does not look pretty!

It looks like green snot.

The national dish is flying-fish & cou-cou. But that is corn-meal cou-cou, not breadfruit cou-cou. 

The flying fish is OK, but I can't go with the corn-meal cou-cou. And probably the reason I can't go with the corn-meal cou-cou is probably because it is so often paired with the okra slush. Which is gak! 

Breadfruit cou-cou is essentially mashed breadfruit. Just as you would make mashed potatoes, you make cou-cou from breadfruit. Sometimes it is made nice with cheese on top and baked in the oven and other tricks. But a breadfruit is so versatile it seems like a shame to just mash the bajezuz out of it.

[Netfoot]

Parish lamp bunnin' bright tonight! (Translation: The moon is full and not occluded by clouds.) I am drying off in front of the fan after a good shower. 

Listening to Afro-Left by Leftfield. Originally thought to be sung in some obscure African language, the band later admitted it is only gibberish. The band is a duo of white Englishmen. But I find the music entertaining and they do compensate by frequently having guest vocalists. I have their first two albums. This track is from Leftism, their debut.

I think I'm all ready for tomorrow. Clothes all laid out, two cheese cutters (with cucumber slices & pepper sauce) in sandwich bags in the fridge. The kettle ready to boil, Google Maps says the trip should take 32 minutes so if I leave here at 6:30 I'll have plenty of time to get there before time. Alarm set for 5:30 which will give me a whole hour to get rolling and I doubt I'll need that. When I get up at 4:30 for Brighton I'm usually ready to go before five. The biggest slow-down is sweet Mozie who is currently curled up.agsinst my back. He makes it tricky to get the van out of the gate without him shooting away around the neighborhood. (You have probably seen the video from yesterday, so you know that catching him is not a high-probability expectation.) Mo also likes to come stand on my lap when I'm getting dressed. Which doesn't help. Nor does him scooting off with my tall socks or wooly drawers, which he likes to do. (He just roused himself and left.)

Tomorrow should be interesting. Its been a few years since I stayed in a house at Cattlewash called High Winds. Some friends took that house down there for 7 weeks over the 1999/2000 Christmas & new year, and I visited them often. Then I and a small group of friends took the same house for a fortnight. High Winds is in the same area as the project and I wonder if it was sold and is now being rebuilt? But there was a large, dilapidated old ruin right next door and I think it is more likely to be that. While repairs and maintenance is allowed, building anew in that area is strictly controlled so it is highly unlikely to be new construction. Although to effect a repair many a house has had to be completely demolished and built back up from new foundations.

I had rice for lunch and macaroni elbows for dinner. With various vegetables and corned beef at lunch and minced beef with the pasta. Before serving the elbows I beat an egg and added it to the mixture in the bowl, and fried them all up until the egg coating was cooked. Modest meals both, after yesterday's breadfruit blowout!

Mo is now right outside the window and making more noise than a banshee in a boiler room. 

I don't know if mobile data will be needed for this job, but I can purchase a cheap one-week plan until I find out. Will do that when I get there in the morning, though. Or maybe before I leave my home wifi. Will try to grab a few photos of the area and post them, if the boss has no objection. I think I will look like a right ninny in a hard-hat, but that can't be helped - I believe I will have to wear one while on site, as I go around and berate anyone who isn't wearing their own.

Right, I'd better go fetch Mo inside and get some shut-eye

[Spunkygal]

Wishing you a good day Netfoot!

[andidante]

Good luck Netfoot! Can't wait to hear all about your first day. You will do great! 😀

[Netfoot]

Running my arse ragged! Details tonight.

Good omen on the way to work - an entire (small) troop!

It's f*c*ing hot! (Language appropriate to environment...)

Edited August 2, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

I am going to be dead by end of day.

Low tide st at Cattlewash:

Edited August 2, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

I am lying in my bed at home because I sat here to take off my clothes and I don't think I can move.

Got started at 7:10 this morning and clocked off at 5:18 PM. Had 45 minutes for lunch but trucks kept arriving and I had to go sign in the deliveries.

I work in a 20' container with no windows, A/C or fan. When the sun hits that steel box it becomes like an oven. It was overcast and sprinkly this morning early but by 10 AM it was so hot in there I couldn't see straight. Literally. I was continually popping out to stand in the shade of a coconut tree and let the Atlantic breeze cool me, but there were a continuous stream of workers wanting tools, adhesives, paint, nails, screws, and so forth so I would have to continue popping back inside to find what they needed. 

Inside my 20' container is enough supplies and enough tools to fill a 40' container to the brim. It is a huge pain because you are clambering over cutting disks to get drill bits, tripping over HD extension cords, squeezing between paint buckets and  boxes of silicone & epoxy to charge battery packs, and so forth. I think it's actually dangerous because someone (mostly me) could trip and fall and depending what you landed on you could be seriously hurt! But I won't make any waves until I've been there a couple weeks.

Around 1:30 PM the sun now angled directly into my container and eliminated the shade from the coconut trees. The already boiling temperature rose some more and to sweeten the deal all water to the site was cut off at the mains. By 2:30 PM I was dizzy with the heat and by 3:30 PM I was spending money to buy ½L bottles of frozen water to stay alive. Leave the bottle in the sun until some of the ice has melted, drink that sip of iced water and wait for some more melting to occur to get the next sip.

Finally got home, brought the van inside and allowed Mo to kiss my face for about 15 minutes. vhechad He had not touched any of the water or food I left for him as I was leaving.

Went and put 10 ice cubes in a big glass and filled it with water. Went back into the bedroom and Mo immediately stuck his nose in the glass and lapped up the top 3" of cold water before I could get a sip for myself.

Now, I'm lying here trying to summon the strength to get to my feet and eat something. 

Edited August 3, 2023 by Netfoot

[Spunkygal]

I’m sorry but that sounds horrendous and cruel. Why do you have to sit IN the container? Can you take your own fan? Did the previous employee die of heatstroke?

[andidante]

That can't be legal! I hope you will be ok. 

[Netfoot]

3 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Why do you have to sit IN the container?

Technically, I don't. But men arrive every few minutes to ask for soap, oil, things I've never heard of and would not recognize when I see it (Fourty Two Hundred), and I have to go in and find it and hand it out and log it. Then I can go out and stand around the corner and get some sweet sea breeze for the next two minutes until the next guy wants acetone, putty (which it turns out isn't putty at all) or a new pair of gloves.

3 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Can you take your own fan?

My boss told me he can get a fan installed. And a light as well, so I don't have to use the LED on an electric drill at the back of the container.

3 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Did the previous employee die of heatstroke?

😄 I considered the possibility and may actually ask, tomorrow.

59 minutes ago, andidante said:

That can't be legal! I hope you will be ok.

It probably is, and I will be OK. Tomorrow I am taking a large supply of water with me and forgetting about lunch. Actually, I will take a pack of Eclipse biscuits to chew on in case I get a rumbly tummy. I took cheese cutters today and I could barely face eating them. 

I spent a couple of decades never eating breakfast, rarely eating lunch and settling for a large dinner. I recognize this is not the best way to eat, but I should be able to hack it for a couple of weeks. 

I've been told I can completely reorganize the container of I have a mind to and it definitely needs doing, bit it would be precipitous to rearrange things with a much better idea of what needs to change. Obviously keeping drill bits in three different places is dumb. Keeping frequently used items in a box at the back of the top shelf should be reconsidered. But I would like to get a better handle on what items are hot movers and should be stored at readily accessible locations near the front. Also there is nowhere to do the paperwork. I have to write on my knees. There was talk of a counter with a flap, but again, the project is running down to a deadline and I don't want to take carpenters off the job to remodel what is essentially a storage unit.

Look, I knew it was going to be murderously hard for the first ten days but I never counted on the heat. The time will come when I get a chance to suggest that the whole "Man In A Steel Box In The tropical Sun Without Benefit Of Ventilation" concept just doesn't work that well. Jokes aside, heatstroke is a real possibility. Now, a simple awning might keep the sun from blazing in through the door and possibly offer an alternate place for a guy with a homemade folding table for paperwork and some sort of stool to sit on.

I think part of the problem is also placement of the steel box. Set down at a different angle the breeze might blow directly in to the door while the sun doesn't get to blaze into the same door. But you have to work with the real estate you've got. The plot is this shape and size, the building goes there and the only room left for the steel box is here, oriented just so. 

Billion Dollar Babies by Alice Cooper, off the album of the same name. Mo is here next to me and I'm going to go lock up the house and crash. Got to do it all over again tomorrow. Only with more ice and plenty of water to drink! Or splash over your head!

Edited August 3, 2023 by Netfoot

[Spunkygal]

I’m sure you know the symptoms of heatstroke and how it sneaks up on you. Please be careful! 

[Netfoot]

My office.

The aisle (for foot traffic) can clearly be seen running right down the middle.

[chitowngirl]

Oh my-that’s just making me twitchy just looking at it!

[andidante]

Hopefully they will let you rearrange that at some point! I want to go in there and organize it, LOL

[b4pjoe]

Yeah my Sheldon Cooper re-organization twitch is in full force looking at that.

[Netfoot]

My chair just visible on the left of the opening.

Just visible: the cardboard box that is for garbage. Turned on it's side in my lap and it becomes my desk.

Saving grace visible on the upper left of the image.

[b4pjoe]

Well you can't beat that view!

[chitowngirl]

Can you take a thin board and some clips to eek out a clipboard perhaps for a sort of desk?

[Browncoat]

Or maybe take a folding table and chair to sit outside?

[Spunkygal]

23 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

Or maybe take a folding table and chair to sit outside?

Yes! Didn’t he make some tables recently?

Good grief! When you have to rummage around for items, wear work gloves if you have to dig in a pile. I know your hands will be hot in the gloves until said item is discovered but I’m afraid something sharp will rip your hands apart. That’s all you need.

[Netfoot]

2 hours ago, andidante said:

Hopefully they will let you rearrange that at some point! I want to go in there and organize it, LOL

You are welcome to come and help. 😄 But I ain't making waves on my second day! So maybe in a a couple of weeks. 

Especially with a deadline approaching, I don't want to ask for workmen to come and make any changes. But what I'd like to do is move everything out and repack the space more logically. And I want certain items relocated if possible. The 5 gal. Buckets of paint, SBR, etc. But not yet.

[Netfoot]

4 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

Can you take a thin board and some clips to eek out a clipboard perhaps for a sort of desk?

I have requested a large clipboard. Dunno when it might arrive.

[Netfoot]

When I went to the club on Monday, there was no trouble going up, but halfway home, the car suddenly started making a windy sort of woosh-woosh-woosh noise. Got home too late to investigate and Tuesday I completely forgot about it. Wednesday morning, off to my new job: woosh-woosh-woosh! Same coming home and the same today going and coming.

On the way home I realized I was passing within a couple yards of Cliff, my mechanic, so I thought I'd pop in and see if there was an Hours-of-Opening sign. Lo! The place was open! Cliff was doing something on the computer and told me he couldn't break away so if have to wait on him. As I waited I noticed a loose piece of plastic hanging an inch down from the bumper. After a short delay Cliff and I took a 2hminutecride in the van and when we were back I showed him the loose piece of plastic. He got me a couple of cable ties and I strapped the loose piece back up into place.

Wooshing all gone in an instant! The forward motion of the car caused the plastic to blow backward and when it touched the wheel, the whooshing noise was produced. Two cable ties and the part couldn't move so no rubbing.

Today was a better day than yesterday but not by much. We had water, at least! I drank 3 liters by 2:00 PM and after that I took my chair (which was too hot to sit on) out and stood it in the shade of the house, I couldn't hold any more water but I poured some over my head every 10 minutes.

Got home with a non-wooshy car about 6:30, took half an hour to have a shower and did paperwork for the next four hours. Still two critical reports I failed to get around to but my brain hurts so I am done. Will get a bollicking about the reports tomorrow, but at least the time sheets are done so the men can get paid.

I'm just here worrying about whether I locked the container! I don't think I did. I may get fired first thing because of that...

Gotta try and grab some sleep. Must be up.and going in 6 hours...

Mo drank half my milk, just like he did with my water yesterday. That dog is taking liberties!

Candy Everybody Wants by 10,000 Maniacs. The singer, Natalie Merchant, joined the band with the understanding she would be a solo artist before she was 30. Years later, with the band quite successful, she told them "My 30th birthday is next month, so...bye!" Her debut solo album Tigerlily was a good un!

G'night.....

[Netfoot]

2:17 AM. Dressed and at work. The unit was not locked. The unit (which you know is packed with crap) was exactly as I'd left it. I would swear that nobody even attempted to enter. I've locked it now, of course. 

I got about 90 minutes of dream-troubled sleep but couldn't take it any more. 

I won't drive home again and return in a few hours. I will catch a nap in the car if I can, which might be hard because the rain keeps falling so I can't leave the windows open. I may get out and try to  find somewhere on the verandah of the house next door which functions as our site office. 

In my rush to leave home I forgot my pen and a marker I was given yesterday. They aren't lost but I won't have them to use today.

Now I have to figure out a way to tell my immediate boss. I could keep quiet and pretend it didn't happen but I think it is best if I come clean. I think I should ask him to tell his boss too. I've known him for many years and he might shoot me dead but again, I'd rather admit to my screw-up than pretend all is well.

My wake-up alarm will go off on 2½ hours, and I will have to be right where I am in 3 hours & 50 minutes! So I was actually 4¾ hours early for work this morning. But I don't think I will be getting a bonus.

[andidante]

Netfoot did they train you that fast for all you have to do? It seems like you have a lot to do and you know how to do it already which is pretty impressive!

 

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, andidante said:

Netfoot did they train you that fast for all you have to do? It seems like you have a lot to do and you know how to do it already which is pretty impressive!

 

Same way my dad trained me to swim. He threw me in at the deep end and walked away.

[Netfoot]

Apparently this container is to be completely cleared and repacked and some of the worst offenders moved elsewhere for storage so I'm not clambering over stuff and standing on other stuff to reach more stuff! The 5 gal. Paint buckets will be moved out and not return. Hopefully the rolls of tar paper also. 

Extra shelves, hooks, pegs, etc. Will be installed. And s counter for me to sit at. Plus the possibility of an awning as well. 

Fingers crossed.

[Netfoot]

5 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Apparently this container is to may be completely cleared and repacked and some of the worst offenders moved elsewhere...

 

[Netfoot]

In bed after an uneventful Garden Patrol. One thing: the grass that sprang up in the wake of the recent rainfall, so tall that Mo would vanish walking through it, was cut down and is gone. I guess the landlord decided to cut grass without requiring me to be trying to nap, as is the usual process.

Caroline No by the Beach Boys. Never a huge favourite of mine, but undeniably hugely influential with their generation.

Been feeling slightly sick ever since Wednesday. Not eaten much. Ate half of yesterday's lunch (pack of Eclipse crackers) today but it didn't enjoy them and only ate half.

Well, 21 hours awake now and I need to get head down. I will get up in 6½ hours and set off to work. Monday is a public holiday and so I will get two days off after tomorrow, and I really need it.

Now that the woosh-woosh-woosh has gone away I have inherited fanbelt-squeals and massive gas consumption. Well, I will have to work towards a service & tune up.

But right now I'm going to lock up and snooze. I keep drowsing off and dropping the phone anyway...

[Netfoot]

And that was at ten past eight!

Funnily enough, today seems somehow cooler...

[Spunkygal]

It is my uneducated, non-medical opinion that you are very dehydrated. I suggest that in addition to water, you drink something like Gatorade to replenish electrolytes. I like Gatorade Zero which has—wait for it—zero sugar! FWIW, I spent the night in the hospital once for drinking too much water and received IVs of potassium chloride. It’s called hyponatremia.

[andidante]

Netfoot, how is Mo doing while you are at work all day? Is he handling it ok? I bet he is very happy to see you when you get home!

[Netfoot]

Today started well despite the high temperature. One of my duties is timekeeper, so the check-in is my job and it was smooth. True, this is Kadooment weekend and far fewer workers chose to come out, but I think it went more easily because I am putting a system in place where I take names and times on a pad and as soon as there is a lull in arrivals, I immediately transcribe to a spreadsheet on my phone. I can convert this to a PDF or an .xlsx spreadsheet and send it to the boss whenever he asks. It will be even easier when I get my (company) laptop wired into the system. It should be so much easier than the little keyboard on this phone! And being able to print a sign-in sheet with the names already in place will make taking arrival times much simpler too. I think it may be a while before I can dispense with the paper sign-in sheet and go all-electronic.

The day got worse and worse as the temperatures ramped up and...

14 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

I spent the night in the hospital once for drinking too much water

...drank three liters of water after which I new I couldn't hold any more and instead began soaking my legionnaire hat with water or simply pouring it over my head. 

I left home this morning in sufficient time to stop at Brighton for 20 minutes and when talking to Jim's wife Sarah, she suggested...

14 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

I suggest that in addition to water, you drink something like Gatorade to replenish electrolytes.

...eating bananas and getting some electrolyte replacement packets from the pharmacy. No cash yet so that sensible idea will have to wait a few weeks. I am prone to cramps in my legs and last night I had two painful cramps at the same time. I keep a salt shaker by the bed and sprinkle some on my tongue but that doesn't help much. And it's not just the high water consumption and electrolyte flushing that comes with sweating it all back out again, it is that I have not been eating well since the job started. 

Anyway, right after lunch I managed to get most of the large (5 gal.) tubs of paint relocated elsewhere, and when a found I had 17 cans of admix I sent 12 into the basement and kept five. Ditto the purple detergent with three gallons retained and seven sent to the basement. This had made a huge difference to the mobility in the container. No clambering, tripping, etc. And much more clearing up and cleaning out to do as time goes by.

Unfortunately the heat still got to me by about 2:00 PM and by time I had to lock up the site I was dizzy, weak and very tired. 

Unfortunately it seems I have a fuel leak. I've been noticing extreme fuel consumption over the last week/ten-day and by taking a photo of the gauge when I arrived at work this morning and again before I departed for home this evening it is plain to see that the level has fallen. But I made it home where...

5 hours ago, andidante said:

Netfoot, how is Mo doing while you are at work all day?

...my dear little boy greeted me enthusiastically and insisted on a lot of cuddles and daddy-love before I could even take my boots off. I took a long, cold shower and made no attempt to dry off, just lay in bed with the window open and the fan blowing on me and took an hour's nap. I woke to find him asleep beside me with his head on my foot. He has been quite a bit more attentive than usual these last few days. I think he is fine about my absence - not scared to be alone or anything - but pleased to see me come home again. 

Cowboys by Portishead. I like the sound and Beth Gibbons does have a voice that catches me just right. Several of the tracks on their first couple of albums were clearly skillfully mastered with modern electronic techniques but had a distinctively scratchy sound, like an old LP record (if you're old enough to remember vinyl). Apparently they had a vinyl album cut of pure silence. Then they left it around the house for a few weeks, taking no care of it at all. After this they were able to sample the record to obtain a pure album-scratch sound unadulterated by any previous musical content. These samples could then be incorporated into their tracks.

Finally got around to eating something today for dinner. I made cheese and cucumber cutters but I toasted the salt bread by putting it sliced-face down in an oiled pan for a short period. They tasted great. Mo thought so too. I don't think I've ever had a toasted cutter before. Next time instead of oiling the pan, I will butter the bread. 

So two whole days off starting tomorrow. Got to play with the laptop and get the hang of the crap from Microsoft they insist on using. I have to try and find s fuel leak on the van. But first I need to get some sleep. So I will stop now, lock the house, have another cold shower, possibly consume some salty water (as a cramp suppression effort) and zonk out, not rising tomorrow until I'm good and ready.

Oh, but first I have to lay out meds for the next three days, so let me do that now.

[Netfoot]

It's been a hot day, but positively icy in comparison to my container. I spent most of the morning fiddling with the laptop they have issued me. Laptops are horrible, with tiny little screens, clunky keyboards and near-useless touchpads. But I can see how I might use it to cut down on some of the paperwork. I don't know where I'm supposed to put it... People don't actually put laptops on their lap, do they ?!??

I could improve it a bit by attaching a keyboard, a mouse and a real monitor, but there is nothing I can do about the horrible OS installed on it. 

So if I can get the desk/counter thingy I have been promised, I might put it to use. 

Slept until 30 seconds before the alarm this morning, which had been set for eight. Blood sugar was 3.9 mmol/L this morning, which is low enough to be in the red zone. But no real surprise since I have not eaten much in the last few days. So I stirred sugar into a glass milk and drank that. And by dinner time I actually felt like eating real food. So I cooked a corned beef rice with pumpkin & carrots plus half of a green jalapeno. Served with lots of melty red butter, it went down a charm.

Listening to Everything Will Flow by Suede. I think this band was at it's best when Brett Anderson (singer) and Bernard Butler (composer, guitarist) shared the stage but the two just didn't get along so that period was relatively short. This track from the Head Music album is after Butler's departure, but the track (and album generally) was still pretty damned good. Anderson & Butler were to collaborate again later, forming a band called The Tears which (predictably) barely lasted long enough to produce a single album called Here Come The Tears. I have that album, but I have never been terribly impressed by it. I must listen to it more and see if it grows on me.  Sage advice given to me once: "Spend 15 minutes each day listening to music you don't like." I have some great albums I did not immediately appreciate. I wish I could recall who gave me the advice.

Mo has just joined me and so I'd better go shut the door, sprinkle some salt on my tongue and try to get some sleep.

[andidante]

8 hours ago, Netfoot said:

It's been a hot day, but positively icy in comparison to my container. I spent most of the morning fiddling with the laptop they have issued me. Laptops are horrible, with tiny little screens, clunky keyboards and near-useless touchpads. But I can see how I might use it to cut down on some of the paperwork. I don't know where I'm supposed to put it... People don't actually put laptops on their lap, do they ?!??

 

 

I do keep my laptop on my lap if I am sitting on my couch, but it's not very comfortable for long term.  I do hope next week goes better for you as far as comfort in your container, the heat and you being able to eat!

[Netfoot]

Yesterday afternoon, Mo was barking away for quite a long while, so I went out to shut him up. There , ten feet from our fence, was my neighbor's cat. 

I like my neighbors, and have no problem with them, ans we are on relatively friendly terms. But when their cat comes calling, I have to try and shut Mo up and the only way ios to get the cat to go home. I will take a stick and rake it back and forth across the gate to make a loud noise. I will ball up a paper towel and throw it at the cat - not to hit it but to come close enough to scare it away. Ditto a pebble or something. I will use a laser to try and entice it away, but that rarely works. I clap my hands loudly. If absolutely nothing else works I will unlock the gate and walk towards the cat. This always works. It's just a matter of how close I get before it takes off.

So today, I saw the cat and I picked up a piece of tree bark about an inch long and frizbee'd it in the cat's general direction. Once again, not aiming for the cat, just close enough to maybe alarm it. II heard a gasp, and looked across the see my neighbor standing a few yards away. I said "Oh, hi! I didn't throw that at your cat, by the way, as you saw. just trying to scare it to go home so as to stop Mo from barking at it."

Well, it turns out that it is my responsibility to train Mo not to bark at cats! Not even when they come right up to his gate or fence.  Whereas it is not her responsibility to train her cat to stay home and not come visiting a dozen times a day!

Edited August 7, 2023 by Netfoot