Small Talk: The Welcome Mat

[Netfoot]

Ok, lathe, grinder, tools and accessories all moved and under cover. And my back is feeling OK. It felt terrible this afternoon, though!

Put Mo in the car and off we went to the club. There was a good sized crowd this afternoon, and the guy Howard was back filming from his drone again. Not sure what he was filming, but I don't think it was Mo, so not expecting any more footage.

He's snoozing by the front door. I went to close it, and I held it open so he could go out if he wanted, and warned him to go if he was going. He watched me with those bright eyes without moving his body an inch. So I locked up and came to bed, pausing only to put a pack of sausages to defrost for tomorrow's lunch.

Speaking of lunch, I didn't have any today. After the move I was too bushed to go stand in the kitchen and prepare food. And I wasn't feeling hungry anyhow. Dinner was hardly any better: cheese on crackers with slivers of raw onion. Tomorrow will be rice or pasta because I'm out of spuds and the few salt breads I have are probably a little dried out by now: ideal for frying but not for making sandwiches. 

I may go to the pharmacy tomorrow. I run out of one of my meds in three days so it's got to be tomorrow or Friday because I don't like to go to the supermarket / pharmacy on a weekend if I can help it. Don't think I need a prescription so no need to bother Dr. Kristi.

Pity, that. I like Dr. K. and I've not seen her for some time. And she's been to Europe since then so there should be a good story or two there! But she's always so busy I don't like to go and monopolize her time when she has patients waiting who need her.

Oh! Look who just jumped into bed and curled up against my back! Now he's wriggling around to get his feet in the air (like a dead beetle) so I can rub his tummy. So, it looks like I gotta go...

[Netfoot]

Mo and I are off to bed after a day of doing nothing. He was here a moment ago getting cuddles but (as is his wont) he's slipped off to do his own thing. I expect he'll be back later.

Actually, I was writing a module to facilitate logging, to be used from within other programs. But essentially that is of no value to anyone but myself. And Mo spent the day sleeping, noisily eating a large, empty, plastic jar that I had earmarked for another project and barking at the neighbor's cat as well as a poor mother who thought to stop on the grass across from our house to play with her baby.

We stopped for meals. Fettuccine with a sauce made from sliced sausage, onion, pak choy, and tomato sauce out of a tiny tin. I didn't want it too wet or too red. It came out nice. I had the balance for dinner but I added some chopped Manzanilla olives and a generous splash of the olive brine when reheating, just to differentiate the flavours a bit. And a half pack of sausages (5) were sufficient for both meals, with the remainder of the pack left for tomorrow. Which will probably be a rice day, seeing as I'm out if spuds.

Mind you, I have to go to the pharmacy tomorrow, so I will see if I can afford a few basics. I need potatoes, cheese, salt, onions, pak choy, plantains, bread... Who knows what I will bring home. And I might save them sausages for day after and use red herring tomorrow. But prolly not.

Nearly finished my book. Sparrowhawk and Tenar / Arha are fleeing the old temple with the Ring of Erreth-Akbe and preparing to depart Atuan in Lookfar. Better get to it, if I hope to finish tonight!

[Netfoot]

Too black to photograph!

[Netfoot]

And now, The Farthest Shore,  with it's dark themes and otherworldly adventure. 

My copy is hardback, and bears a label which says it is the property of North High School IMC, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. For giggles, I looked for it on Google Maps. (Seems there is roadworks underway on the road west to Minneapolis. What a world!) The school looks like a pretty big place, seen from above. Huge, even. Alas, I can't get this phone to give me street view.

I have several books that claim to have been previously owned by schools or public libraries. Most of them are stamped with a legend stating that the book is being retired from service. This particular book carries no such stamp. 

I've never been to Wisconsin, so if this book was stolen, it wasn't me that nicked it! I paid 61¢ for it, plus the inevitable shipping...

Mo sleeps on my foot. So now my foot sleeps as well. And soon I will join the both of them.

[Netfoot]

Went to the pharmacy this morning. Stopped on the way to drop off something for Dr. Kristi. Only saw her briefly. Just to wave, not to talk.

Clauder came out to the van as I was leaving, and spent a minute fussing with Mo through the window. Mo was ecstatic! He loves attention and he loves to play. 

So since the pharmacy is attached to the grocery and I did need a few things, I started picking up one or two items. Figured I would need to spend about $40 but as I collected stuff, I kept a running total in my head. When that hit $60 before I had picked up all I went after, I stopped. Went and got my meds ($10.53 as predicted) then headed for the cashier. My $60 worth of goods mysteriously turned out to be $80 at the till! And when I mentally keep tabs I tend to round up each item to the nearest dollar, so I was expecting it to be a little less than $60 not ⅓ more! What's more, I had to settle for less than ideal produce. The onions were all about the size of a goochie taw. The potatoes not much larger. There were Idaho's for $2.75 apiece, or non-GMO, vegan, homeschooled, free-range spuds for $24.95 per 5 lb. sack. No cucumbers, or tomatoes except for expen$ive plum tomatoes. The jalapeno peppers were $16.95 a bag and the red sweet peppers were not much cheaper. I bought regular cabbage, pak choy, a hand of big plantains, three Idaho spuds, 8 or 10 tiny onions and very little else.

There was no tinned puppy chow for Mo. He gets mostly dry puppy chow, but I mush up some tinned puppy food with water to make a little gravy which gets sloshed around the chow to give it a flavour boost. But there was none on the shelf. Thank goodness we have a few at home, and a little goes a long way.

Came home, fed Mo and cooked myself some lunch. Thinly sliced two sausages, a tiny onion, and the pak choy leaves from last shopping day which were starting to look a bit wilty. Put them in some rice, and cooked the lot together. It was plain fare but tasted good. Had it with a little knob of red butter on top. 

While in the kitchen I made up a new batch of flavoured mayo. Same recipe as before: garlic powder, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. But I held back on the syrup and was a little heavy handed on the red pepper flakes. It tastes good! I have to stop myself sampling it with a spoon.

Dinner was cheese cutters with thin cucumber slices and slivers of raw onion and a sprinkle if salt. With the bread 'buttered' with the mayo, it went down a treat. I told myself I wanted a hot meal, not sandwiches of any kind. But 90 minutes later I'm slicing cheese...

In bed now, a little early. House is still unlocked and Mo is out by the door. So soon I will go out and lock up, hopefully with Mo on the inside.  Then I'll read my book for a little while and turn in.

[Netfoot]

And now, with the puppy sleeping on my feet and Sparrowhawk soon to depart Roke with young prince Arren at his side, the rain suddenly howling down and the drumming on the tin roof drowning out the bedtime music as a fine mist of droplets drifts in through the window to cool me in my bed. Why am I thinking about smoking a cigarette? Something I have not done since the wee hours of 16th of March, in 1991?

Edited July 23, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Hey!

While cleaning up around the lathe, I found this lidded box I made years ago. It's sitting on a block of wood identical to the one from which it was made.

I think I will take it up to the club this afternoon and see what the fellas think. Then maybe if anyone likes it, I will give it to them. It's purpleheart.

Naturally, Mo will come with me. I am pretty sure at least Rudy will be there, and maybe Austin as well. In any case, Mo and I will enjoy the fresh air and maybe a walk around the property. And in case nobody else shows up, I will take my book with me.

Cleaning up that lathe plus all the accessories and chisels will be quite a task. Started on the chisels this morning. Got a dozen useful ones plus 4-5 more that I never use and regret buying.

Edited July 23, 2022 by Netfoot

[andidante]

I love that box, it's so pretty! I can't get over the prices of your groceries though. It seems really expensive where you live. 

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, andidante said:

I can't get over the prices of your groceries though. It seems really expensive where you live.

First thing you got to do is divide all my numbers by two. I'm quoting  prices in local dollarettes. And the robot says the exchange rate is 1 US$ = 2.010 BB$.

But yes, things are expensive here since most of it is imported. However, recent economic downswings elsewhere in the world do have a knock-on effect. It's worse than ever now, and getting even worse every time I go to the store.

[Netfoot]

Little rascal sits on daddy's lap.

Here he is wondering around on our deck, hoping to be given a cashew nut.

Stick in the background put there by Mo.

He likes cashews. I threw one for him and he raced out onto the grass to find it.

[Netfoot]

Stealing a cashew off the test table. Little dies does he know, it was deliberately put there for him to steal!

Edited July 24, 2022 by Netfoot

[andidante]

1 hour ago, Netfoot said:

First thing you got to do is divide all my numbers by two. I'm quoting  prices in local dollarettes. And the robot says the exchange rate is 1 US$ = 2.010 BB$.

But yes, things are expensive here since most of it is imported. However, recent economic downswings elsewhere in the world do have a knock-on effect. It's worse than ever now, and getting even worse every time I go to the store.

Oh I see! Thank you for explaining. It is getting bad over here also with some products. I hope this somehow gets better for all of us. 

[Netfoot]

Had a carby lunch again. Rice with onion, diced cucumber, chopped pak choy stems and rolled/sliced leaves, and a single piece of red herring, cut up very small. Served with a knob of red butter. Yum! Not everyone enjoys the red herring flavour but I do. I can eat it uncooked. I just pull it apart with my fingers and eat little fragments with crackers.

We went off to the club as usual, and halfway there the speedo in the van just stopped working. No idea why. Just one more thing gone wonky on the van that I can't afford to fix. (I'm sorry Honey. One if these days.) But we made it, and Mo ran about until he earned the nick-for-the-day of "Rocket Boy." 

Rudy was not there, which was a surprise, because he's a staunch believer in going up every flying day. But he had a pool party to attend. Austin said he might come later in the afternoon but he never did. I've no details as to why, but I guess a few bikinis were enough to hold his attention until dusk.

Austin's friend Howard was there again, though. Here he is, playing with his little toy...

Quadcopters are not held in high esteem by most club members. They are incredibly useful and capable machines. From agriculture to zookeeping, architecture, engineering... So many uses! But recreational flying? Where is the fun in flying a device which, if you've a mind to, you can put down the controller, go to the bathroom, stop at the bar on your way back to mix yourself a drink, and not only has the device not crashed seconds after you walked away, but it's still flying in exactly the same spot you left? No. That's not a model aeroplane. That's a camera with a magic, invisible tripod. 

Now real flying is when you take off with something like this Armar Gorrion that Rudy built and Austin rebuilt.

I like parasol monoplanes so I've always liked this model. I like the German Fokker D.VIII "Flying Razor" and the French Morane-Saulnier AI. But not for some reason, the much beloved Pietenpol Air Camper which I've always thought an unattractive aircraft. Maybe because the Fokker and the Morane-Saulnier are both Edwardian (WW-I) warbirds?

I've taken a chicken breast out of the freezer for lunch tomorrow. Or maybe I should say the chicken breast? It's the last of them. Don't know what I'll have it with. Carrots and rice? One of those Idaho potatoes? Don't know.

After several meals of rice and several more of bread I was all set to skip dinner tonight and settle for a cuppa tea. Not. Mo was very annoyed that there were no leftovers for him to enjoy. (I usually let him clean my plate, and deliberately leave some meat or a few pieces of pasta, etc, for him to find.) So, after he came and complained three times, I fried two eggs. I ate one and a half and cut up the remaining half egg for Mo. He polished the plate and seemed satisfied.

So I could split the breast horizontally and make two chicken cutters. But with only an egg and a half for dinner, not even a piece of toast to go with it, I will be hungry tomorrow. So maybe a big lunch. Boiled carrots, baked potato covered with red butter and hot beans with onion, and the chicken breast with a chicken gravy.

Mo has just joined me in the bed, so I will go shut the door. Mo does have a tendency to race me to the door and scoot out again before I can get it closed. Hopefully not tonight 

[Netfoot]

Didn't go to the club today. Wasn't feeling the best, and besides, there isn't much gas in the car.

Had bread and cheese for lunch, but I'm still contemplating that chicken breast with potato, carrots and beans on the side. Maybe a plantain as well.

But I come here to tell you a story. A true story of something that happened to me less than five minutes ago.

I'm sitting at my desk, when plop! Out of a clear blue sky (actually there is a dirty-white tentest ceiling with a hole in it over my head)...

No, seriously! Where In hell did this little guy come from? He's standing on a disposable pill-bottle from that pharmacy that I am keeping some screws in. At about 1" nose to tail (OK, so he doesn't have a tail) he is a big whistling frog! But where from?!?? Only two possibilities come to mind.

1) Somehow, he found himself in the ceiling space of my house, and fell or jumped through the gigantic hole in the tentest to land on my desk.

2) He entered via the door and hoppity hopped around until he was in a place from which he could hoppp onto my desk. 

I think #2 is more likely. But what is he doing in the house at all? Dry environments can cause them to completely dehydrate in a couple of hours. This is the last place he would want to be. 

Anyway, I went and put him out in the grass outside my gate, because I think Mo would munch him down in an instant if he only knew Mr. Hopscotch even existed!

Meanwhile Andrew (Heidi's husband) arrived at my gate and handed me a 20 lb. bag of puppy chow for Mo, along with a dozen tins of puppy food. The tinned studs,used sparingly as 'gravy' is good for tweaking up the chow and adding flavour.

That was very nice of them to think of baby Mo. I had trouble locating puppy food only a week ago, if I remember. Didn't mention it to them, so I think this is just a coincidence. Or maybe they have bugged my home? (Heidi wouldn't do that. My sister on the other hand...) It's the very stuff from PriceSmart that was out of stock for weeks, then when they received more stock, it sold out before I could even get there.

Anyway, Mo wants his dinner. But we have to finish what's already there before we open the new stuff, Mo!

[Spunkygal]

He’s so adorable! But that would have scared the pee out of me! 

[Netfoot]

2 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

He’s so adorable! But that would have scared the pee out of me! 

It would have been a lot more scary if it had been a centipede. But thank goodness this is not Trinidad. No snakes, scorpions or poisonous spiders.

In bed now, waiting for Mo to join, if he will. Then I will lock up the house. Dinner was a small portion of boiled carrots, a huge baked potato with red butter, a smallish chicken breast covered in my own dry rub and pan fried, a huge plantain

microwaved for three minutes and a gravy made by deglazing the chicken pan with some gravy crystals and a tiny onion sliced into rings, poured over the lot. Eschewed the beans when I saw the size of the potato and the plantain. With a large lime squash to wash it down, it hit the hollow spot!

Tomorrow, I start by paying all the bills I can (some usually aren't ready until the end of the month). I will use internet banking to do it all, with the exception of the car insurance, for which I have to write a cheque and drop it off. Then we will see what we have left for groceries and pharmacy. Thankfully, not doggie dinners, for a couple of months.

When things are this bad, you hope that nothing unexpected happens. Like my specs breaking. Which they have done four times, now. Three times within the last week. I need a new pair but cyanoacrylate and prayer are holding so far.

Today was hot. It was bad in the house and the air felt like it was stale, like from an ancient tomb. The temps weren't really all that high, but maybe the fact I was off colour to start with contributed to make the day hard to bear. I eventually had to go dig out a big fan and set it up to blow on me. That did help.

I need to acquire a few screws suitable for holding a face-plate onto a block of wood. I will get them from next door. If I walk, Mo is going to want to come with me, and that is definitely not on. If I drive he can come in the van and he will stay in it when I go inside to make my purchase. But it is literally next door and I feel it is foolish to drive to it, unless I'm planning to go elsewhere directly after. Or I'm on my way home from errands. I guess I will have to bite the bullet and leave baby at home on his own. I will lock the gate, and maybe even put him on the chain?

Mo nowhere to be seen so I will read my book a while and then go lock up. With him in or out - his choice. I think I'll take a shower too. Not because I'm dirty but because the water will be cool and refreshing. Then I can get into bed semi-wet and let the fan blow on me!

Oh, speak of the devil...

Edited July 25, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Went out to get my screws this morning, taking Mo with me in the van. Msg'd Dr. Kristi to see if she was busy, or whether I could bring Mo for her to have a few minutes of race-time with him, but she sent to say she was extremely busy with normal cases and also a couple emergencies, and was "ready to cuss everyone." So we avoided a cussing and went home again.

Eight wood screws, #10 x 1½” and a #10 washer for each one. 49¢ per screw and 9¢ for each washer. Anyway, I was able to mount a block of wood to a face-plate, sharpen up some chisels on the slow-speed grinder, and start making shavings. I'm very rusty - as is all the equipment. I haven't touched that just since I was (wrongly) diagnosed with kidney cancer. And that was a year and a half before athlete's foot! Anyhow, I can now turn the outside of a bowl. But without a chuck, it will be interesting trying to hollow the inside! (I have the chuck. What is missing is the chuck key...)

Simple lunch of a half pack of macaroni (not elbows. Bucatini), half a tin of corned beef, half a head of pak choy, a whole micro-onion and a tin of diced tomatoes. Ate half of that for lunch and the other half for dinner. Pretty good. Mo liked it too, since I gave him a scoop with his lunch.

But Mo will eat anything. When I was chopping up the pak choy, I cut off the end of the head where all the stalks join, and tossed it towards the garbage bin. Unfortunately I missed, and it went on the floor. No matter! Mo snatched it up, crunch, crunch, and ate the whole thing! He will literally eat anything. He comes and begs me for slices of cucumber when I'm making a sandwich.

He's discovered a new form of self-entertainment. There is a small piece of carpet by the door, which I put there so he could lie down without having to be directly on the tiles. He still prefers the tiles sometimes, because they are cooler, I expect. Anyway, the new game is: run down the passage until you have some speed. Make the turn into the living room, onto the carpet, and slam on the brakes. He and carpet go sliding across the room! The leading edge of the carpet gets rolled and folded into an untidy heap by the door, but that doesn't spoil the ride. 

It's a one-time ride, but eventually I will pass by and pull the carpet back into position. Shortly thereafter, it's in an untidy heap by the door again. For the last few days I've been saying to myself, "Why is this carpet always in a mess?" but it was only today I saw the reason why. My genius dog has invented canine proto-bobsledding! The only thing I'm annoyed by is that you will see the world championships of this event at Crufts in a few years, but Mo won't get a cent in royalties for the idea!

Anyway, I will read a while, listen to Eric Clapton, and eventually go close the front door, hopefully with the bobsledder on the inside of it.

[Netfoot]

This is a plastic bag.

Or part of a plastic bag. Just the sort of plastic bag a hardware store might give you, if you bought eight #10 screws and matching washers.  In fact, yesterday the hardware store gave me a bag exactly like this one when I bought screws from them at great expense! Well, not that great an expense, but enough that I could have bought a liter of gasoline for the car!

I took those screws and washers home, with the intention of using them to attach wood to faceplates for use on the lathe. My small faceplates use four screws, but I have two faceplates. 

I using four yesterday, I left the remaining four screws and four washers in the bag, on a shelf by the lathe. 

Imagine my surprise to find this remnant of the bag out on the lawn, where the continuous rain has made the grass long and unruly. This was the biggest piece of the bag. The rest was finely divided, like confetti, and scattered far and wide. There were no screws or washers "inside" the bag, because there was no "inside" left.

I found all four screws and I found all four washers. And now Mo is hiding under the bed to avoid his botty being spanked any more. 

Have you any idea what it took to find those screws and washers in that long grass with the light failing? His botty is lucky I love it's owner as much as I do!

I gave him one good smack on the rump and another half-hearted swipe as he fled. He doesn't need to hide because he won't get any more. But he doesn't know that...

[Netfoot]

Earlier, when it was time for his dinner, he never came to remind me. He sat quietly with his head down on his paws, watching me with two bright eyes. I gave him a cuddle and his dinner and he polished that off quickly. 

Later, when time for our pre-bedtime walk around the garden, I got the torch and went out to find him. He was sitting on the grass with a large bone that I can't remember giving him. We went around and checked on everything, and he watered what needed watering.

I expect he will he be in soon, if he will come in at all.

Light meals today, because while I felt like eating a horse on toast, I didn't feel like cooking one. For a late lunch, two perfectly fried eggs and three sausages, a fried tomato and a salt bread sliced in three and fried in the egg/sausage pan. Mo got one if of the sausages and about ⅔ of an egg. This despite a mid-morning snack and just having been fed a double sized lunch of his own. He was unphased and ate everything. He also returned later in the afternoon as I was brewing a cuppa, and I had to broach a packet of crackers and share them with him. 

For dinner, having eaten lunch late, was a single piece if of red herring, which I broke into tiny slivers and ate them raw. Well, it isn't raw, its dried and probably smoked or something. It's very strongly flavoured and a tiny bit goes a long way. If I took a big bite I doubt I'd be able to get it down. Sort of like trying to eat a dry Oxo cube. Only worse.

Tomorrow I might use another piece and cook it into some rice. I will have to see what I have that could go in to make the rice interesting. I have cucumber and pak choy and tiny little onions, and some regular cabbage (but the pak choy would probably go better in rice) and I have some baby carrots and will no doubt find something in a can to add like channa or black beans or pigeon peas or even sweet corn. And I have a couple large plantains, so I could have one if of them. But in on the side, not cooked into the rice. And come to think of it I have half a tin of corned beef in the fridge I want to finish so maybe I'll put that in the rice instead of the red herring...

All this talk of food is a pretty good indicator that I'm hungry. Well, a light lunch today and essentially nothing for dinner, so I will have to make up for it tomorrow lunch time.

I'm going to go and entice Mo in so I can lock up. And maybe I will take his photo because you can't have too many pictures of a handsome boy like Mo!

Yep. He was by the car and was easily persuaded to come to bed.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Red herring and rice with black beans and carrots as well as a generous dollop of Bajan seasoning. And a plantain on the side. Tasted good. I didn't add any pak choy and I didn't miss it. Mo forced his way between me and the counter where I was finely chopping the red herring, so he had to be given a few fragments to taste. Then he harassed me until I left a few spoonfuls of rice on the plate for him to clean up. 

Before lunch I went outside and sat on the steps with him for a while, so he attacked my toes. 

But he has been generally pleasant and sweet today. Let's hope I didn't just put "goat mout'" on it!

I was sat outside and he came and made a fuss until I went and lay down with him, so he could jump on me and chew everything he could reach. Three minutes later and he had disappeared again! But this bed does feel sorta comfy...

I made up some more seasoned mayo. I have to stop with that stuff because it's addictive. I sometimes find myself eating it with a spoon!

Edited July 27, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Sometimes I wonder about Mo's sanity. And my own.

I was napping after being used as a trampoline and then a mattress. But I got up after a while and lay on my stomach, propped up on my elbows to use the phone to surf the net. Mo was somnolent, leaning against my side. I love cuddling with my fuzzy little boy!

After a while, Mo decided he wanted to look out the window. Like Buddy before him, he puts his two front paws on the bedside table and pokes his nose out of the window. In order to do this he had to come and stand right in front of where I was.

Suddenly.... he sat down. On my head!!!

I nearly died of laughing, but I didn't want to disturb him so I held it back as much as I could. I already had the phone in my hands, right under his tummy. So I called up the camera and took a selfie.

He is literally sitting on my head!

Honestly, is there anyone else in the world that has this sort of experience with their puppy?

[Netfoot]

Well, it's been a day of hijinks with little Mo. He picked the rainiest time to run outside and bark at a cat. Only, there was no cat. You think El Gato is siting outside in the rain? Neither do I. But Mo was convinced that was when he would see him.

So of course, he was soaking when he came back in. He walked in looking like he'd  been dragged through a hedge sdrawkcab and then dunked in a rain barrel. Came right up to me while I was going "No! Don't you dare! If you..." Too late. He had done the shake with the ears on maximum flap and all. So what could I do? I got a towel and dried him off as best as I could. 

There was the butt-on-head thing. And before that, he actually lay down on top of me and went to sleep.

But generally, he has been a very sweet boy today. 

For lunch I had the red herring and rice, but for dinner I had a different idea. I browned some onions and added the half-tin of corned beef from the fridge. Then I added a tin of beans and set the heat very low. 

Meanwhile, I brought a small pan of salted water to the boil, and set about making some dumplings. Wheat flour and corn flour. Salt and red pepper flakes and garlic powder. Had a bit of a foul up with the wheat flour so ended up with more dumplings than I had originally planned. As each one was made I chucked it into the boiling water to cook. 

When they looked ready I ladled some of the dumpling water into the beans mixture and made it all runny and creamy, before stirring in the dumplings themselves. Served the meal in a bowl with a big glass of OJ on the side. It tasted great. The only problem was: I made too much! Fortunately, I had a good friend who helped me out and polished off the remainder of the dish when I didn't want to eat any more.

Now, I have had an idea. Long ago I bought a gigantic bag of powdered mashed potatoes. I eat them every so often and they aren't too bad, especially if you handle them, adding some extra spices and other stuff to make them more exciting. But I have not made much of a dent in the bag, considering.

Now, I've never tried them, at least not to my recollection. But gnocchi sound like they would be fairly edible. I wonder if I made dumplings in the usual way, but used the powdered potatoes as well as or in place of the flour? Think that would work? I can't think why not. I mean, they could end up tasting horrible, but maybe not! And I'd end up with a new option and a way to dispose of that neverending bag of mashed potato flakes!

Anyway, the house is locked, Mo has just jumped in bed and curled up against my back, and I'm going to start the music on random and see what comes up. (Gardens in the Rain by French musical Impressionist Claude Debussy, performed by Isao Tomita on his Snowflakes Are Dancing album) and read a little from my book.

But hist! A tummy needs rubbing!

Edited July 28, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

[Netfoot]

Quiet day. Mo was fractious.  He is getting stir-crazy and wants to be taken somewhere. Unfortunately, I have no reason to leave the house and I'm not taking the van for a spin just because Mo is bored!

I finished my book, 3rd in the series, and will begin #4 tonight. It is Tehanu, and features Tenar, rescued by Sparrowhawk in The Tombs of Atuan. The first book of the series to follow the original trilogy, I always looked askance at this one. But I am receptive to a good story, so I hope I will find it worth appreciating.

Mo kept coming to ask for food all day. And when I checked, his bowl contained plenty of food to satisfy him. He had been getting one scoop (and a bit), twice per day. I figured it was time time to up his vittles so I've been giving him two scoops for lunch last two days. But he's coming to tell me it's dinner time and half his lunch is still in his bowl! So he's going back to one scoop. Plus what he can wheedle out of me from my plate, of course. 

Today I had egg & cheese cutters for lunch. Not only did he get more than a slice of cheddar, but he also got bites of the sandwiches (I did the biting, not Mo) and when almost half of the egg remained when the sandwiches had been eaten, I split it with him 50:50.

Dinner was a baked potato with bean/sausage 'gloop' on top, plus a plantain, sliced and fried. No sugar or cinnamon, I'm afraid. Sorry, mum.

The fried plantains tasted fine, but was very soft. It was obviously a little too ripe. I have to find a way to use overly ripe plantains. Mashed together with corn meal, and fried as fritters? Blended with milk, flour and egg, and drizzled out of a tin with a hole in the bottom into boiling water to create plantain noodles?

If you have any ideas...

Mo is curled up behind my knees again. My lids feel heavy. I will get to reading, but don't expect to get far...

Edited July 29, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Woke suddenly to the realize I wanted a shower. Didn't turn the lights on. There is enough ambient coming through the windows for me to see to find my way. And I didn't want bright lights in my eyes.

Showered and returned to find the puppy seated regally on the top of my pile of pillows. Looked like he should have been smoking a hookah.

Displaced him most gently and with great respect. Then tried to get back to sleep. Not happening. Eventually turned the light on. In the mean time, the puppy has disappeared. Will watch a video or something to try to get back sleepy again. Or pick back up my book.

Don't know why I'm always tired, yet can never get any sleep. It seems like something someone should be worried about. But I got too many other worries to worry about that worry.

A doctor once told me the proper use of an alarm clock. Rather than set it to the time you want to wake up, you should set it to the time you need to get to sleep. 

[Lovecat]

12 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Mo kept coming to ask for food all day. And when I checked, his bowl contained plenty of food to satisfy him. He had been getting one scoop (and a bit), twice per day. I figured it was time time to up his vittles so I've been giving him two scoops for lunch last two days. But he's coming to tell me it's dinner time and half his lunch is still in his bowl! So he's going back to one scoop. Plus what he can wheedle out of me from my plate, of course. 

I'm no Cesar Milan, but I'd bet a shiny button the bolded part has to do with why he's leaving his chow in the bowl.  No pup's going to be satisfied with dog food if he knows he's guaranteed The Good Stuff.

[Netfoot]

31 minutes ago, Lovecat said:

No pup's going to be satisfied with dog food if he knows he's guaranteed The Good Stuff.

That's very true, but I don't usually leave him much on my plate, so it wouldn't be enough for him to rely solely on that. Occasionally, like recently with the dumplings and beans, he gets more, but usually not.

Also, although he's been getting small quantities of leftovers/scraps for quite a while, he has always been very reliable when it comes to cleaning his bowl.

He loves to eat, and he happily eats (with gusto) things I wouldn't expect him to eat. Like if I drop a piece of raw potato on the kitchen floor or offer him a slice of cucumber or tomato.

[Netfoot]

Got some issues fixed with my server in Utah today, so that was good. Didn't eat much and as has happened before (I think), I find myself hungry and wishing I'd eaten. For lunch was a pack of crackers. That was going to be it, but I spotted a quarter of a small tomato in the fridge and decided to eat that on the crackers. 

To slice that piece if of tomato so as to cover the crackers, I figured I'd need the knife to be pretty sharp. And as it happens my knife sharpener went missing 2-3 weeks ago. Around here we have a name for a knife that's as dull as all my kitchen knives. We call it a "stick". Sometimes, we call it a "rock". So I had to take the knife outside and put an edge on it with the bench-grinder I use to sharpen lathe tools.

The tomato was duly sliced paper thin and consumed on the crackers. Thank God I use cheap $5 knives in the kitchen. A $100 chef's knife wouldn't have allowed itself to be sharpened in such an industrial manner.

Rudy popped around this afternoon to drop off a bag of meat for Mo. These are scraps sold by the grocery for a very low price. There is nothing wrong with the meat (and turkey, it looks like). It's just unsightly cuts that they can't sell. Normally they will mince it and sell it, but there is a limit as to how much mince they need, so the excess is sold to feed the dogs.

I've used the stuff in the past to make stock, by boiling it and draining off the liquid. The residue feeds the dog, and the fat is removed from the stock which can then be used to make soup, etc.

Mo was extremely pleased to see Rudy, and began leaping three feet in the air. He's been doing this for a week or more, now. Wants to be a kangaroo. Has a bad habit of doing it behind your back. It's the front paws on your shoulder and the rear claws digging into your back that is a problem...

Dinner was a small tin of peppery Thai Chili Tuna. I just opened it up and dug in with a fork. Mo came along later complaining that he wasn't given a taste of my dinner. I tried to explain to him that there was not much dinner tonight. He looked dubious, so I got the empty tin out of the trash and showed it to him. He promptly snatched it and ran off. I guess I will find the tin somewhere outside at a later date.

Anyway, I got a couple bags of groceries today and one of the items was a tin of sweet, condensed milk. Condensed milk was a staple in the old days, and almost everyone used it to cream and sweeten their tea or coffee. We kids used to eat it with a spoon, or boil the unopened tin to create a sort of candy. It has a distinctive taste and I made myself a cuppa using it tonight. I only put in a little, so the taste was not strong. Tomorrow maybe I will put more to enjoy the familiar taste from bygone years.

The house is all locked up and Mo is curled up against my spine. I'd send a photo but every attempt to take his photo over my shoulder ends up with my butt in frame. And you definitely don't want to see that! So I guess it is time to read until I start yawning, then douse the lights and start snoring.

Edited July 30, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Just made this:

It's about 4¾“ across the rim and stands at 2¾" high.  It has a somewhat unusual profile

Dictated to some extent by the blank.

When turning a blank into a bowl, you will find that the shape of what you're working with dictates the shape of the final outcome. For instance, this blank was nearly 2" wider than the bowl, but it was not properly circular, so by the time I got it trued up, it was considerably reduced in size. Then, I spotted a crack. Following the crack made the piece very wasp-waisted until I had something resembling an hourglass on the outside. So instead of being straight sided, the bowl became the shape you see it here. 

I put two decorative lines on the outside of the rim but I couldn't find my garotte to blacken then them and I didn't feel like making a new one. Do So the lines don't really stand out.

Sanded up to #220 and finished with a wax/oil mixture used as a friction finish. (The finish is applied with the piece still on the lathe and turning at high speed. The heat generated by pressing the finish against the surface liquifies the wax and simultaneously opens the pores of the wood. It frequently scorches your fingers, too!)

If I had a functioning chuck I think I would have been able to do a better job. Frankly, a better job would not be hard to do!

Had breakfast this morning. Yes, breakfast. Quick-cooking oats, boiled in a pan on the stove. The recipe followed exactly, gave me enough oats to allllmost overflow the little bowl. I had to garnish with condensed milk very cautiously! Anyway, it was good to eat breakfast for a change, and now it's gone two and I am not inclined to eat lunch. 

Mo, by the way, loved the last couple spoonfuls (spoonsfull?) And polished the bowl to a high sheen. And he keeps going back to give it another licking. I will have to pick it up and take it away soon, or hell he'll have the glaze off the thing.

Edited July 30, 2022 by Netfoot

[Spunkygal]

That bowl is gorgeous! Very impressive! 

[Netfoot]

43 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

That bowl is gorgeous! Very impressive! 

Thanks! But it's objectively not very good. The wall thickness can only be described as massive, whereas thin is the mark of a good turning. Also, the finish is not particularly good as there is tear-out here and there. It's some dry, old pine so that didn't help. 

If you look closely you can see that there are little imperfections all over the thing (some highlighted) where little pieces of the material were ripped from the blank instead of being cut by the edge of the tool.

I'm not too displeased. It's the first thing I've turned in nearly five years, since the kidney cancer diagnosis, then athelete's foot and Myasthenia gravis... But it really isn't great. It's not the thing you put on your mantlepiece. It's more the sort of thing you keep by the door to hold your keys, or change from your pocket. Or on your workbench to hold nails pr or screws.

But the biggest problem I'm faced with is: What do I do with it?!?? I face this problem every time I make something. I don't actually need it, so...

Edited July 30, 2022 by Netfoot

[dbklmt]

I agree with spunkygal!  "Gorgeous and Impressive"

I'm so glad to see what you can make with that lathe that you moved last week I presume from inside the house to outside in an enclosed area?  It may have imperfections, but sometimes they are what I'll look for when I've bought ceramic art glass bowls, etc.  Really admire your talent as I have none at all when it comes to woodworking, etc.

Is there any type of arts and crafts festival or shop where you could try to sell it?  What happened to the one that you showed before you moved the lathe?  Did you give it to anyone at the club as you mentioned you were thinking of doing?    

[Netfoot]

1 minute ago, dbklmt said:

What happened to the one that you showed before you moved the lathe? 

What, the lidded, purpleheart box? No, it's sitting right here on my desk taking up space, getting in my way and not getting used for anything.

No, don't know of anywhere I could sell things. I could get a stall at Brighton Market for $40/Saturday, but I can't see myself selling $40 worth of stuff to pay for the stall, far less put anything in my pocket. The bowl I turned today I doubt anyone would pay real money for it.

I need a bigger lathe. Mine is only 5" over the ways, so the largest diameter I can turn is 10". Or in fact, slightly less than 10" because you start with an imperfect blank which has to spin within the 5" radius and by time you true it up, it's going to be less than 5" radius. With a bigger bowl I could do something like a lamp or a salad bowl. But I was short on knowledge and experience when I bought this lathe, and didn't know what I really needed.

[andidante]

It is a very beautiful bowl! That takes much skill. 

[Netfoot]

In this country, a tin can is often referred to as a "tot". Named after the special tin cups used by the Royal Navy to measure and hand out the daily ration of "grog" with which British sailors were provided, right up until I was in college.

A "salmon tot" then, would be a tin can that once held salmon. There is a type of dog referred to as a "salmon tot retriever" which is to say, a mongrel. Mo is a salmon tot retriever. Driven home to me yesterday, when he ran off with my empty tuna tot. 

He just did it again, running off with the empty condensed milk tot. He has been clattering and clanking around in the garage for the last half an hour!

After my bowl of gruel for breakfast (I love that word) I skipped lunch so I decided to have a big dinner. I had one of the giant Idaho's left, and went rummaging in the freezer to see what I might find. In the back, lo! A steak! About the size of the palm of my hand (fingers included) and over an inch thick, it looked horrible. But I put it to defrost and when I looked at it again, it didn't look half bad. Nicely marbled, only a thin rim of fat on one edge... I threw it on the stove over a low heat, with salt, black pepper and nothing else. Meanwhile the potato was baking in the microwave, the red butter was waiting, and I had two piles of onion rings, mandolin cut from a single, small onion. Black beans and one pile of onion rings went on the fire, with sliced and diced cucumber and a sprinkle of cilantro and thyme. When the steak was done slightly rare on the inside (but not too rare, seeing as I had my doubts about the quality of the steak) I set it in the plate to rest and deglazed the pan with the other pile of onion rings, the last of the chicken gravy crystals and just a splash of boiling water. This gravy went on the steak while the black beans went over the red butter on the potato.

I'll admit, I can't remember the last time I had a steak, but I think tonight's steak was very fine. Soft, tender, full of flavour, no gristly or fatty bits to discard. Good to the last bite. And the black beany potato was very good as well. I enjoyed every bite. And I ate every bite as well. Poor Mo had to be satisfied with his own dinner tonight. And a salmon tot...

Speaking of Mo, he just jumped into bed with me, but a minute later he jumped back out and has disappeared.  No problem. I feel a bit sticky tonight, so I will read a while, then take a shower before locking up and dousing the lamps.

[Netfoot]

Just brewed myself a cuppa. Stevia running low, I decided to use real sugar. I mean after using condensed milk yesterday, why not? I told Dr. Kristi months ago, I going to have to stop eating healthy and start eating cheap.

So I broke open a package of the coarse, blonde stuff we call "straws" and made a fine brew. 

Had pasta for lunch. Penne with tuna and onion and diced cucumber. Spiced with chives and cilantro and a dash of soy. Went down well. Left a scoop in the bottom of the pot and put it on the floor. Later on, I observed that the pot was totally cleaned out. 

I think will have rice tonight instead of more pasta. Got a couple of sausages that can go in it, as well as some sort of beans and some pak choy. 

Mo just had his dinner. It was 6:01 and I said to myself "The little man will be here any moment crying for his grub" and literally moments later, there he was. He got chow with milk, and some of the same milk went into my tea.

Was playing around on the lathe again today. That old, coarse-grain pine does not cut well on the end-grain. Best thing would be to make up some segments so the entire bowl is side-grain, but the prep on each blank would be high. Anyway, I glued up a block onto a goue- glue-block, but I want to give that 24 hours to cure before subjecting it to my far-from-delicate lathe skills.

As an alternative, I got some tamarind that I could put on the lathe, but 1) it's only been a couple years since it was cut, do so the inside is probably still wet. And 2) the pieces are so heavy I will have a hell of a time cutting them on the bandsaw.

Watching old movies today. Had Mo sleeping on my feet earlier, but he hasn't come back in after getting his grub, and I don't want to go into the garage and investigate the strange noises I'm hearing from out there!

Edited August 1, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

My mum taught me to cook rice. Basically, you put one measure (cup, pint, bucket) of rice in the pot with two measures of liquid. The liquid can be water, stock, or any other liquid that you think will make the rice taste better. I frequently use the liquid from what ever tinned goods I'm adding to the rice, made up to two measures with water from the tap. The important thing is to start with a 2:1 ratio of liquid to rice.

When I was a little kid, mum used 2⅓:1 ratio. Back then, all the rice was what is now sold as "Speckled rice" and widely referred to as "Dog rice" because it's sold for dogs to eat. It has black speckles in it, which are bad/spoiled grains. I guess dogs don't mind, but when I was a nipper I used to sit in the kitchen and help "pick the rice", a process that entailed spilling a handful of rice in a pile on the kitchen table and moving it a few grains st at a time to create a different pile of rice, leaving the speckles behind for disposal. Everybody did this, because all rice was "Speckled rice" except we just called it "rice".

More recently (like, 50 years ago), we started using parboiled rice, and the ratio of water went from 2⅓:1 to 2:1 and this is the starting place I use today. You might find some rice (say, brown rice?) that you have to adjust the ratio and add more water. Also, if you include wet things like diced cucumber or crushed tomato, you will need to use less water.

Anyway, you put the rice and water on the fire, as soon as it comes to a simmer you turn the heat down to keep it boiling gently, put the cover on it, and in 20 minutes you have cooked rice, and all the water has been absorbed. vibusuallybset I usually set my timer for 10 minutes and give the rice a stir at the halfway point.  Don't forget the salt. 

Why am I rabbiting on about cooking rice? Because I cooked rice for dinner. One scoop of rice, and two cups of liquid consisting of the liquid from a tin of Lima beans (on my hands an knees, with a torch in my mouth and my head in a dark cupboard), made up with two water. So, the rice contained those Lima beans, a mandolined onion, three diced sausages, and some chives and cilantro. Served with red butter and eaten with a spoon, it was great. Thank goodness I can enjoy simple food.

But why was the rice ready in 10 minutes tonight? Instead of 20? All the liquid was gone but the rice had not started to stick or burn. The grains were not soppy, not hard and crunchy. Nicely firm but thoroughly cooked. So what happened?!??

Dunno. Could send some to the lab... but I ate it all. 

Later, as I took Mo out for his evening stroll around the yard, I found the source of the strange noises reported in my last post. 

It's the condensed milk tot from last night. The inside looks polished. There certainly isn't any residue if of the sticky condensed milk you'd expect. The label is completely gone and may result in a mild constipation later. And the tin itself has been absolutely devastated by those big, beautiful, white teeth. He's just jumped into bed to visit and his teeth are perfect (he's just left again). I check them regularly, because this is one puppy who loves chewing on nothing better than rocks, cement, tile or ceramics, glass or steel.

He just made me understand he wanted out. I opened the door for him and he shot out forcefully, slamming it open when I had barely opened it a crack. He ran out to the gate, stopped, and stared back at me like he was waiting to see what I would do. He hasn't barked at anything, he didn't urgently need to p&p and he did nothing but stare at me as I looked out of the door. It's three minutes to two, so I have no time to mess about with him if he wants to play silly games. If he wants to be out, he can be out. In a minute I will go and relock the door with him inside or out, as he pleases.

Anyway, just thought I'd tell you about the mysterious case of the rapid rice. Plus a lot of old chit chat about what rice was like fifty years ago. That old time rice used to "yield" as well! One cup raw became three cups when cooked! These days, I don't think rice yields like it used to.

So, I guess I will lock up and try to get some shut-eye. 

Edited August 1, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Had another go at the lathe today. The piece is about an inch taller and a quarter inch narrower than the one from yesterday. Since my chuck is nonfunctional I had to use a glue-block which inset i I set up yesterday and let cure overnight.

Simple design, with flaws in the blank dictating the overall shape. I added two lines with the tip of the parting tool, and tried to blacken them with a wire I made last night. But I only had fine copper wire and this heated up and broke several times. The lines look OK while the piece is still turning, but appears patchy when observed standing still.

Here I am doing a final sand on the bowl. It's still attached to the glue-block at this point. And here it is with a wax/oil finish being applied:

Now the ticklish job of getting it off the glue-block and finishing the bottom. I had to use a jam-chuck and incorporate a small towel to save the internal finish as best I could. That's the white blur you can see at the neck of the piece.

The hardest part is removing the little nub in the middle, because you have to retract the tailstock and live-center, so the only thing keeping it on the jam-chuck is prayer.

Using a small chisel I removed the nub before sanding and finishing the small spot in the center of the base.

Edited August 1, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Here is the finished item, beside the one I did yesterday.

The pinkish background is a dirty old pillowcase. While turning, I saw the pillowcase exit the door of the house, run down the stairs and out on to the lawn. It was dragging Mo by the mouth as it went.

Maybe I will try a lidded item next? Wotcha think?

[Spunkygal]

Is the wax finish that you use food safe? With a lid, that would be a great salt container. A lot of chefs will just reach in a container to grab the amount of salt they need rather than use a shaker. 

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

Is the wax finish that you use food safe?

It should be. It's made of pure paraffin oil, sold in the pharmacy for human consumption, and paraffin wax from candles which, although not considered an edible substance, is no less food-safe than the paraffin oil itself.

I didn't actually make these items with the idea of using them for food. If I had wanted to do that, I would have used bees wax and paraffin oil. This is not only food safe but adds a pleasant smell to the finished item. But intentionally or not, these items should be perfectly food safe.

Note, paraffin oil (also known as "liquid paraffin") is called "mineral oil" in the USA and is commonly used on wooden kitchen items, like chopping/cutting boards. Mineral oil should not be confused with "mineral spirits" which is definitely not food safe.

In some countries (in the antipodes, for example) paraffin oil is the name given to kerosene oil, which I'm pretty sure isn't food safe either. I don't use mineral spirits or kerosene oil to finish woodworking projects.

I like the idea of a salt dish. And someone else suggested a mortar & pestle, but I don't know how well a wooden mortar & pestle would stand up to ordinary use. You'd have to use a hardwood, but even so.

[Spunkygal]

Yes, I use a bees wax on my chopping boards. I believe it is from Boos Board, a very popular high-end maker of chopping boards. My boards are not from Boos— just the bees wax! 

[Netfoot]

13 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

My boards are not from Boos— just the bees wax! 

I understand. My car isn't from Porsche. Only my keyfob!

[Spunkygal]

1 hour ago, Netfoot said:

I understand. My car isn't from Porsche. Only my keyfob!

Touché! 🤣

[andidante]

Those are beautiful!! 

[Netfoot]

I am in, and Mo is out. Wouldn't come in. Came for a cuddle, checked to see if there were any treats to be had, kissed me on the nose, and departed.

He's a sweet boy, and if he wants to sleep out, I won't try to force him to do otherwise. Course, I miss his company, worry that someone may harm him in the night, and hope he doesn't bark the night away to disturb the neighbors.

No treats, because vittles have been scarce today. Lunch was tuna on crackers with some sliced cucumber. I tried Sodabix crackers today. There are two locally made crackers, Sodabix and Eclipse. I usually buy the latter, but I tried a pack of the former today. I find them more crumbly, and the taste is slightly different to what I'm accustomed to. The eclipse crackers have a tendency to, uh, crack when you bite them. But Sodabix is more likely to turn to dust rather than break into two. I can eat and enjoy either but on par, I prefer the Eclipse.

Dinner wasn't very exciting either. I ate two pieces of red herring, then went back for a third. Would have liked a lime squash to wash them down (very salty) but I'm low on Stevia. Considering how much sugar I consumed over the last two days, what with the bag of straws and the tin of condensed milk, I thought a sugar-free day was called for. So only water today - no lime squash and no tea.

Late in the afternoon I built a simple wheel out of MDF and glued on a wooden faceplate I'd made earlier. Trued up the edge and applied some green, extra-fine polishing compound (looks black after you've used it for a few seconds).

I've always wanted one of these but to use it you have to either reverse the rotation of the lathe or stand behind it. My lathe does not have a reverse feature, and since it was backed against the wall before... Now I can approach from either direction, I went ahead and built the simple polishing wheel. Hardest part of the build was waiting for the glue to dry. You don't want to rush that, because you don't want the disk to come off the faceplate at high RPM!

I nodded off in my chair while waiting this afternoon, and had a nightmare about Buddy. It was one of those where it is difficult to describe what happened, and impossible to explain why it was unpleasant. I could really use Mo here by me tonight. Maybe I will go and appeal to him.

I think that from time to time, he concludes that he is going to be punished for naughtiness, so he avoids my company. Today there was the matter of the pillowcase, and later he ripped the bottom out of the trash bag in the kitchen to get at some juicy garbage. I spoke to him both times, but he didn't get any sort of punishment and I didn't even speak to him very strongly. I think he is sort of waiting for the hammer to fall.

Which it isn't. If ever he does wrong I deal with him right away. Like today I spoke to him about the pillow case immediately, and ditto that trash bag. I never save up punishment until later because by time later comes, the pup won't have any idea what it's for. I don't think a stern talking to or even an un-stern one is punishment anyway!

As usual, it's way late and I want to have a shower. I'll go do that now, and I'll open the door and see if the little man has changed his mind about coming in for the night.

[Netfoot]

Trying to make a box out of purpleheart and cedar. These two woods don't go together we'll, but it's what I've got so it's what I'm using. Gluing together layers to make up a working blank. The two layers on the left will make the lid of the box.

The three layers on the right will firm the body of the box, but I have to add another layer of purpleheart when this glue job sets up. And both pieces will then need to have a wooden faceplate glued in place afterwards. 

I have a feeling of impending doom when I look at this.

And while I was fighting with layers of wood slipping and sliding around on wet glue as I tried to get the spring clamps on...

Someone stole my pencil and adjusted the point for me.

I only hope the old point didn't get swallowed.

Anyway, it will be hours before this job is ready for the lathe, so: lunch!

[Netfoot]

Here is the bowl-blank being glued to the wooden faceplate. I am using the quill of the tailstock to apply a little pressure to help the joint set up strongly.

And here is the lid with it's own wooden faceplate being attached. Using nature's clamp (gravity) to apply pressure on the joint.

The golden thing on top is my nonfunctional chuck that can at least still do the job of a rock. The feeling of impending doom has not departed. We'll see how it turns out.

Very cleverly packed Mo into the car to go collect a prescription from Dr. Kristi and proceed to the pharmacy. No answer at the clinic, but she did say she was busy, busy, busy! The car park was empty and all the shops were shut.

Wait a minute! Not only is today a bank holiday, yesterday was a bank holiday as well!

Oh well. Came home again hugging a disappointed puppy, and made fettuccine con salsiccia e fagioli for lunch.

Now I must go and locate a puppy and take his picture. His public demand it!

[Netfoot]

Here are the two parts of the piece on the lathe at the same time, being trued up. It was a horrendous job with chunks of wood flying off in all directions leaving deep wounds which made the truing process even harder.

I think when I'm done for the day I might take a shower!

Here are the separated top (left) and bottom (right), with the hollowing process started. I began with a 1⅜“ forstner bit and took it from there. The top is close to where it should be, whereas the bottom had has plenty hollowing out to go. The central hole left by the forstner bit is still clear to see on the left right hand piece. Gotta work it wider and wider, bit by bit.

You can see the different coloured band of cedar halfway down the bottom of the vessel. Also, the two wooden faceplates at the back of the pieces.

Wish I had money. Would be fun to work with some nice pieces of blond hardwood, like say maple.

Stopped for light  Tomorrow, I will begin by resharpening all the chisels I'm using and then begin cutting the rims so they fit together. Then the hollowing can continue. And the simultaneous turning of the outside so they match.

The fun part will be when it's time to separate the project from not one, but two glued-on wooden faceplates!

At about the halfway point, I decided to lie on the floor of the garage and see what happened.

Mo came along to see what was going on, and give me a mess of kisses and also to chew on me a bit.

Edited August 3, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

I've been acting stupidly. I've been fooling around on the lathe and I've not been wearing any face protection. And I speak as someone who has experience of a big lump of wood getting thrown off the lathe at high speed, to smack me full in the physiog. Twice!

I have a good pair of DeWalt goggles. They are designed to be worn over your spectacles. It seats firmly to keep fine dust particles out of your eyes. However, they were very dirty from years of just hanging around, not being used and they looked very difficult to clean. Also, while they protect the eyes, they do nothing to prevent a flying chunk of wood from rearranging the rest of your features!

I also have a good 3M face shield with a polycarbonate visor. This covers the entire face and flips up or down as needed. It's comfortable to wear, protects the entire face, can be worn over the specs (in fact it can be worn over the goggles which are in turn over the spec) and it was also filthy dirty, and looked hard to disassemble to clean.

YouTube to the rescue! Following YT Instructions, they were both quickly disassembled for cleaning. The strap on the goggles have lost their stretchiness but everything else looks just fine. And I can probably obtain suitable sized elastic from a dressmakers shop for a few bucks. I cleaned the face shield and washed the visor, and will reassemble tomorrow when the visor is dry. I'll also clean, wash and reassemble the goggles but will have to wait until I get elastic to put them back into service.

I also have a shop coat to keep the chips from building up in my chest hair, but frankly I'd rather be dirty than wear that on a hot day.

The door is shut and Mo is in, so far. He is sleeping near the door but may come a-cuddling later. Or may demand to be let out. As usual he helped me eat my dinner.

I had cutters with egg, cheese and thinly sliced cucumber. I cut the rolls and placed them cut side down in a wide pan with some olive oil to toast. Two eggs beaten with a tip of milk, salt and black pepper was poured in to a medium sized pan and allowed to cook over a low heat. With a spatula I kept lifting the edge and tilting the pan so the raw egg on top flowed under and cooked. Ended up with what was essentially a large, thin, unfolded omelette. Cut pieces of this, sliced some cheddar and caressed the mandolin with a cucumber and assembled my cutters. They tasted great and the toasty bread made it greater! The bread (which was not new) also seemed softer and fresher after it's time in the pan.

To go along with it I made myself a large glass of chocolate milk. Yes, I'm not allowed chocolate. No, I don't care. The drink tasted so good I went later and made another one! I think pretty soon I will buy myself a coca-cola. I've not had one in prolly 5 years. And I'll not be drinking a sugar-free one, oh no! If I'm doing something stupid I might as well go whole hog!

Well, time to take another shower and retire to bed where my book and Barry White (Just The Way You Are) await.

Edited August 3, 2022 by Netfoot