About Stan

Just an old guy trying new things.
May 12

I Gotta Call The Meatloaf I Made Tonight The “DarkStar” Meatloaf

Cause it came out so dense that just a quarter of the thing has filled me up for the next 3-4 days. Stuck everything in the mixer and started it to mixing and got an emergency notice from my 70 year old bladder that I NEEDED to go to the toilet RIGHT NOW or I was going to spend some time in the shower and finding clean drawers and pants and, anyway, by the time I got back to the mixer everything was WELL mixed. Looked like a thick burger paste.

But I cooked it up anyway. Smelled great! Tasted great! Sits like a neutron star on the stomach!

Been thinking that if the SHTF that a hydroponic garden in my basement just ain’t gonna work. Where would I get the nutrient solution? Water? I got. Electricity? I can make. Nutrient solution? Hmm. So I’m thinking of trying out a GreenStalk 5 tier vertical Planter system. Uses dirt but, dirt I got plenty of.

Might be fun to play with. Or maybe an aquaponics system?

Thursday we took the fur babies to the beach up near Sequim (pronounced Squim). Wiz (our Dog) had been there before and picked right up hauling ass through the water chasing GU-11’s. Matey (the Cat); not so much. He pretty much tried to hide under every piece of driftwood we came across. But it was his first “day trip” so we kind of expected it. He does really good on a harness and leash though. For a cat.

Wx was out-fucking-standing though! SWMBO as lovely and entertaining and pleasant as ever to be with. What a nice day.

Last (Saturday?) I ordered some things from Amazon and I could have gotten it all by Wednesday, but, I opted for their “drivers day?” thingie where they make fewer deliveries on Thursday. Another day wouldn’t have made that much difference. Then, yesterday, Thursday, I get a message that there’s been a delay and my package won’t arrive until another 1-2 days, “sorry for the inconvenience see ya next order.”

Second time I opted for that. Second time my order got delayed. Which means I’ll opt for the fastest (Prime) delivery from now on.

Contractor jack hammered out the holes in the foundation for the new posts and beams to hold that portion of the house up. They poured the new 80 bazillion pound concrete in place yesterday and plan to let it harden for a week before putting everything in place. Cool. Progress continues.

Date Day. SWMBO’s taking me to Red Lobster so I’ll be in a Seafood Induced Coma later and won’t be able to post so I better post now.

Aug 28

So, Are Freeze Dried Grapes Just Weird Raisins? Asking For A Friend …

Thought I’d rested my back enough to get out today and take down a couple of small trees (with the tractor mostly) and dig a trench (again with the tractor mostly) in the back 40 for winter drainage (we like to be able to walk the path even after it’s rained a lot). So I did. Both.

I should have reconsidered my plans for the day. ‘Nuff said. Where’s the Advil?

Date Day last Friday and I took SWMBO to Red Robin where we paid $13 for her Mushroom burger, and $13 for my regular cheeseburger. $5 for her foo-foo tea and $4 for my Dr. Pepper. And don’t forget the tip! She’s worth it, for sure, but sometimes … Turns out the breakfast I make for us at home is a $28 breakfast at FPH.

(denotes the passage of time…)

You know, I started this about a week ago, got busy, and totally forgot about it and posting. Sorry about that. Having too much fun during the day on the new tractor while the good Wx lasts and not getting enough sleep at night because of the back ache and Left knee pain when I lay down. But that’s my problem and not yours. Hopefully. One would think I wouldn’t have much to do on only 3.2 acres. Seems though, since I turned 70, every job takes almost twice as long to do and I need more mechanical help. Maybe I should consider downsizing … (Can’t stand neighbors too close though!)

Got an interesting e-mail:

Hi,  spam=@=stanking.org
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That’s the way it was formatted. Where do these idiots learn their written english? Does anyone still fall for these scams? But it is making me want to set up a raspberry Pi to autodial their number about a zillion times a day.
Anywho, thought I’d post that I’m still alive in case there were any family, friends, associates, or debtors wondering. I think I’ll get back to more regular, and hopefully more interesting, posts once the Wx goes to crap and I can’t get outside as much.
Which should be soon. “They” set up the fish counter trailer at the river coming out of Belfair and from the time it gets taken down to the onset of crappy weather is, usually, only a matter of weeks. Like two.
Jan 11

I’ve Always Lived By These Two Mantras: Don’t Make Me Stop This Car & You Want Something To Cry About? I’ll Give You Something To Cry About!

So this is what we’re looking at for the day. And it’s only 0600. Atmospheric river heading our way with lots of rain and another flood watch for most of Western WaRshington. Again.

I gotta move back to Yuma.

It’s Monday and the top jobs I have today are:

1) Call and make a “Warranty For Life” RV (required!) inspection appointment.
2) Call and refill one of my Fat Old Guy meds that I ran out of over the weekend.
3) Gather everything together for a dump run tomorrow.
4) Burn trash. (IF the wind ain’t blowing too hard.)

And that’s all I need to do today. Unless one counts the usual chores. Then I’ll need a longer list.

That “Warranty For Life” on the RV kind of bugs me. They “give” you the warranty, then require annual inspections that cost you at least $150. AND I have to drag the RV to north of Tacoma (usually in morning traffic). Whole day: gone.

Dump run/Burning trash. We throw all the non-meat left-overs out into the yard where it, usually, just does the nature thing and feeds the grass. (Or the bunnies.) We don’t throw out enough to cause the stinks or bug problems. That would be wasteful. And I live in the “country” off the paved road next to the forest anyway. Get off my case about it!

The only things that go into our trash cans are non-recyclables (another scam but MAYBE I’m doing the right thing) and things I cannot burn. Or things I should burn (downed branches, etc). So I can hold off making a dump run for about a month. Two cans usually. $11. Separate trip for the plastics and glass and cardboard and stuff. (Not separate trips for each. One for the cans and one for the other stuff. Nevermind.)

Unless I’ve cut up a chicken. After a couple of days that shit stinks so I’ll make a dump run.

Except for this last chicken that I got whole and butchered myself. Once I rendered the fat/skin into “smaltz,” and made stock of the “left-overs” there really wasn’t anything but bones to get rid of.

Wow, raining like a bi-otchie out there!

WAY much later this same day:

Took SWMBO to her friends funeral at the church. Got back kinda late.