Bezabor: Settling in from vacation… (posted from home)
Monday, 10/24/05-
Labashi and I went into town this morning to check out an Aldi grocery store. We had heard from our friends Bob and Catherine that they like Aldi better than BJ’s or Sam’s Club, which we had been considering since receiving an introductory membership to BJ’s. Labashi had gone shopping at BJ’s last week and had mixed feelings about it. The combination of driving distance from us and our disinterest in storing food or supplies in bulk in our small house made us wonder whether it would be worth it for us. Labashi talked to several shoppers there and several said they were shopping for their businesses and that paid off but otherwise they probably would not bother.
Aldi’s was very interesting. I just loved their unconventional method of handling the shopping-carts-in-the-parking-lot problem. You have to put a quarter in the slot of a small mechanism mounted on the shopping cart handle in order to disconnect a chain linking your shopping cart to the others. When the chain is removed, the mechanism holds the quarter while you shop. When you return the cart after unloading your groceries in your car, you get the quarter back. And if you want to leave the cart in the parking lot it won’t be long until someone takes it back in order to get the free quarter. So this simple, well-thought-out solution not only keeps the parking lot free of carts, it also means Aldi doesn’t have to pay anyone to occasionally round up the shopping carts.
The Aldi’s store was very clean and well-organized and had all the essentials plus special buys and all at good prices. We ended up with four bags of groceries for $39 and are trying out some new off-brand foods. So far, so good!
In the afternoon I rode my motorcycle over to the local state park to go for a walk. Within minutes I saw a beautiful osprey along the lake. I walked (and jog-walked a little) around to the boat launch known as Launch #1—the same place where I launched my sea kayak late last week—and then took a trail I had not hiked before, the Beaver Creek trail. I was surprised to find it a nice, wide trail. It had a few rocky patches here and there but would make a great trail to hike with someone else since you can walk two-abreast on most of it. It would also be a good snowshoeing or cross-country ski trail in winter. It curves around the lake and then follows Beaver Creek upstream, giving occasional access to the creek while winding through mixed hardwoods and occasional stands of cedars. It ends at a small parking lot along a country road.
When I came out at the small parking lot, there was a bow-hunter at the trailhead all dressed up in camouflage, holding his bow in one hand and a cell phone in the other. He nodded as I approached but continued chatting away. I didn’t want to intrude on his hunting space so decided I’d circle back to my motorcycle via the hard road. At first I wasn’t sure the road would lead me back the way I wanted to go but that soon resolved itself- all I had to do was turn right at any road intersections to get back. The roads took me a bit out of the way so I ended up doing a four-mile walk when I had only intended to do a mile or two.
That evening we watched the extra features on the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ DVD. The History versus Hollywood and MovieReal features were excellent.
Oh, yeah…and today’s our 35th wedding anniversary! We’ll do something to celebrate this weekend. I did download an album from Itunes and burned it to CD as a little surprise for Labashi.
Sunday, 10/23/05-
Skies have cleared today but it’s somewhat cooler— a very nice fall day. Labashi and I visited my mom and took her out to lunch. She’s in an assisted living facility about an hour away from us and loves it there, which, come to think of it, is quite a blessing in itself. Mom will be having her 87th birthday next week and is in remarkably good health, though she has some arthritis pain in her knee and must use a walker to get around. But she calls her walker her ‘good buddy’ and is appreciative of being able to walk at all.
We also visited a family friend in the nursing home portion of the facility. She’s the mother of our friend Red Retriever in Maine. She and her husband owned the cabin we stayed in at Ocean Park and were friends of both Labashi’s parents and mine. She’s a dear soul and we were very happy to spend a few hours chatting with her.
We then went to visit my good friend Bob from high school days and his wife Catherine, his step-daughter Valerie and her husband Romay. We had a dinner with them and stayed late talking with Bob and Catherine—a very enjoyable evening.
Saturday, 10/22/05-
More rain day today. In the morning we just did some chores and before long I was anxious to get out so I decided I’d go for a walk even if it was raining lightly. I decided I’d walk over to our ‘local’ video rental store --- a ten-mile round trip--- and rent some movies for us. I’ve been wanting to walk some longer distances to prepare for fall and winter hiking, and for winter snowshoeing and cross-country skiing so this would be a good time to work on it.
I popped a few ibuprofen to (hopefully) keep inflammation down and took off. I was surprised that it was a fairly easy walk and that I didn’t cause any blisters. I remember that the last time I did this about two years ago I had figured I had done ten miles on eight-mile feet; in other words in the last two miles I developed blisters and next day I was sore. But I had no such problems this time.
I was ready to rest by the time I got home, of course, so we watched three episodes of one of the DVD’s I rented. It was ‘Empire Falls’, an HBO mini-series based on the Pulitzer-prize-winning novel of the same name by Richard Russo. I had learned of it in Waterville, Maine which I understand is the town upon which the novel is loosely based and where some of the mini-series was shot. It’s a blue-collar story of a once-prosperous town now down on its luck since the closing of the textile mills and stars Ed Harris, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Aidan Quinn. So far I like the feel of it though its pacing is a little slow at this point—but I do like the scenes in Maine.
We also watched the Ridley Scott movie ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ and it’s a treasure. It’s about the Christian crusades and has fantastic and seamless re-creations of Jerusalem in the late 1100’s. Scott did an amazing job of putting together live action and digital effects—it’s so seamless that it all looks like it’s live action.
Friday, 10/21/05-
After a morning of finishing up the van (sealing the final section of roof seam at the windshield) and cleaning up and putting tools away, I spent a few hours on the computer. I had finished just in time, for that afternoon the rains came in. Labashi had gone shopping but I was restless so decided to wash the van and our trailerable sailboat (yes, in the rain!). The sailboat hadn’t been washed since Spring and while we were away had developed a greenish, mossy growth I believe originates on the teak trim and ever-so-slowly spreads across the fiberglass in the humid weather of summer. I checked the van several times throughout the afternoon, looking for any leaks and all was well--- finally!
Thursday, 10/20/05-
With the continuing string of nice days I needed to keep working on the van roof to get it sealed before the rains and colder weather start this weekend. I checked the top-track I had epoxied the day before and it was very solid—a good decision to not just rely on the rubber expansion-nut fasteners which would probably loosen with age and temperature extremes. So I expoxied the other track and while that set up I prepared both tracks for sealing by cleaning them and the roof with denatured alcohol and acetone. I also applied a rubber-roofing paint made for RVs over the lap-caulking of the ventilation bubble (actually a Fantastic Fan) I had had repaired in Maine… just to be sure. I also painted the rear-most portion of the inside of the roof where water had been seeping in (via the top-track holes) in the heaviest rains.
I sealed the track and re-sealed the seam between the fiberglass roof and the metal van using two caulking-tube-sized tubes of black Silicone Seal. I was reluctant to get started with the Silicone Seal because it can make such a mess but the process actually went pretty well. It helped a lot to mask off the areas around where I was putting the sealer and to use a little plastic seam-smoothing tool I found at Home Depot. The secret was to pull the masking tape as soon as possible-- before the Silicone Seal skins over --- to get a good-looking joint.
Monday, 10/24/05-
Labashi and I went into town this morning to check out an Aldi grocery store. We had heard from our friends Bob and Catherine that they like Aldi better than BJ’s or Sam’s Club, which we had been considering since receiving an introductory membership to BJ’s. Labashi had gone shopping at BJ’s last week and had mixed feelings about it. The combination of driving distance from us and our disinterest in storing food or supplies in bulk in our small house made us wonder whether it would be worth it for us. Labashi talked to several shoppers there and several said they were shopping for their businesses and that paid off but otherwise they probably would not bother.
Aldi’s was very interesting. I just loved their unconventional method of handling the shopping-carts-in-the-parking-lot problem. You have to put a quarter in the slot of a small mechanism mounted on the shopping cart handle in order to disconnect a chain linking your shopping cart to the others. When the chain is removed, the mechanism holds the quarter while you shop. When you return the cart after unloading your groceries in your car, you get the quarter back. And if you want to leave the cart in the parking lot it won’t be long until someone takes it back in order to get the free quarter. So this simple, well-thought-out solution not only keeps the parking lot free of carts, it also means Aldi doesn’t have to pay anyone to occasionally round up the shopping carts.
The Aldi’s store was very clean and well-organized and had all the essentials plus special buys and all at good prices. We ended up with four bags of groceries for $39 and are trying out some new off-brand foods. So far, so good!
In the afternoon I rode my motorcycle over to the local state park to go for a walk. Within minutes I saw a beautiful osprey along the lake. I walked (and jog-walked a little) around to the boat launch known as Launch #1—the same place where I launched my sea kayak late last week—and then took a trail I had not hiked before, the Beaver Creek trail. I was surprised to find it a nice, wide trail. It had a few rocky patches here and there but would make a great trail to hike with someone else since you can walk two-abreast on most of it. It would also be a good snowshoeing or cross-country ski trail in winter. It curves around the lake and then follows Beaver Creek upstream, giving occasional access to the creek while winding through mixed hardwoods and occasional stands of cedars. It ends at a small parking lot along a country road.
When I came out at the small parking lot, there was a bow-hunter at the trailhead all dressed up in camouflage, holding his bow in one hand and a cell phone in the other. He nodded as I approached but continued chatting away. I didn’t want to intrude on his hunting space so decided I’d circle back to my motorcycle via the hard road. At first I wasn’t sure the road would lead me back the way I wanted to go but that soon resolved itself- all I had to do was turn right at any road intersections to get back. The roads took me a bit out of the way so I ended up doing a four-mile walk when I had only intended to do a mile or two.
That evening we watched the extra features on the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ DVD. The History versus Hollywood and MovieReal features were excellent.
Oh, yeah…and today’s our 35th wedding anniversary! We’ll do something to celebrate this weekend. I did download an album from Itunes and burned it to CD as a little surprise for Labashi.
Sunday, 10/23/05-
Skies have cleared today but it’s somewhat cooler— a very nice fall day. Labashi and I visited my mom and took her out to lunch. She’s in an assisted living facility about an hour away from us and loves it there, which, come to think of it, is quite a blessing in itself. Mom will be having her 87th birthday next week and is in remarkably good health, though she has some arthritis pain in her knee and must use a walker to get around. But she calls her walker her ‘good buddy’ and is appreciative of being able to walk at all.
We also visited a family friend in the nursing home portion of the facility. She’s the mother of our friend Red Retriever in Maine. She and her husband owned the cabin we stayed in at Ocean Park and were friends of both Labashi’s parents and mine. She’s a dear soul and we were very happy to spend a few hours chatting with her.
We then went to visit my good friend Bob from high school days and his wife Catherine, his step-daughter Valerie and her husband Romay. We had a dinner with them and stayed late talking with Bob and Catherine—a very enjoyable evening.
Saturday, 10/22/05-
More rain day today. In the morning we just did some chores and before long I was anxious to get out so I decided I’d go for a walk even if it was raining lightly. I decided I’d walk over to our ‘local’ video rental store --- a ten-mile round trip--- and rent some movies for us. I’ve been wanting to walk some longer distances to prepare for fall and winter hiking, and for winter snowshoeing and cross-country skiing so this would be a good time to work on it.
I popped a few ibuprofen to (hopefully) keep inflammation down and took off. I was surprised that it was a fairly easy walk and that I didn’t cause any blisters. I remember that the last time I did this about two years ago I had figured I had done ten miles on eight-mile feet; in other words in the last two miles I developed blisters and next day I was sore. But I had no such problems this time.
I was ready to rest by the time I got home, of course, so we watched three episodes of one of the DVD’s I rented. It was ‘Empire Falls’, an HBO mini-series based on the Pulitzer-prize-winning novel of the same name by Richard Russo. I had learned of it in Waterville, Maine which I understand is the town upon which the novel is loosely based and where some of the mini-series was shot. It’s a blue-collar story of a once-prosperous town now down on its luck since the closing of the textile mills and stars Ed Harris, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Aidan Quinn. So far I like the feel of it though its pacing is a little slow at this point—but I do like the scenes in Maine.
We also watched the Ridley Scott movie ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ and it’s a treasure. It’s about the Christian crusades and has fantastic and seamless re-creations of Jerusalem in the late 1100’s. Scott did an amazing job of putting together live action and digital effects—it’s so seamless that it all looks like it’s live action.
Friday, 10/21/05-
After a morning of finishing up the van (sealing the final section of roof seam at the windshield) and cleaning up and putting tools away, I spent a few hours on the computer. I had finished just in time, for that afternoon the rains came in. Labashi had gone shopping but I was restless so decided to wash the van and our trailerable sailboat (yes, in the rain!). The sailboat hadn’t been washed since Spring and while we were away had developed a greenish, mossy growth I believe originates on the teak trim and ever-so-slowly spreads across the fiberglass in the humid weather of summer. I checked the van several times throughout the afternoon, looking for any leaks and all was well--- finally!
Thursday, 10/20/05-
With the continuing string of nice days I needed to keep working on the van roof to get it sealed before the rains and colder weather start this weekend. I checked the top-track I had epoxied the day before and it was very solid—a good decision to not just rely on the rubber expansion-nut fasteners which would probably loosen with age and temperature extremes. So I expoxied the other track and while that set up I prepared both tracks for sealing by cleaning them and the roof with denatured alcohol and acetone. I also applied a rubber-roofing paint made for RVs over the lap-caulking of the ventilation bubble (actually a Fantastic Fan) I had had repaired in Maine… just to be sure. I also painted the rear-most portion of the inside of the roof where water had been seeping in (via the top-track holes) in the heaviest rains.
I sealed the track and re-sealed the seam between the fiberglass roof and the metal van using two caulking-tube-sized tubes of black Silicone Seal. I was reluctant to get started with the Silicone Seal because it can make such a mess but the process actually went pretty well. It helped a lot to mask off the areas around where I was putting the sealer and to use a little plastic seam-smoothing tool I found at Home Depot. The secret was to pull the masking tape as soon as possible-- before the Silicone Seal skins over --- to get a good-looking joint.
posted by Bezabor&Labashi | 09:38
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