Gopher update

Two days later and with daily doses of "gopher repellent" there have been no new tunnels or any sightings of the varmint.  I am thinking of bottling the repellent and selling it on the internet, but it will require drinking a lot of water.  

"In the immortal words of Jean Paul Sartre, 'Au revoir, gopher'."

Yesterday I am in the computer room putting something up for sale on eBay when Pat calls to me to "quick come look at this". I think she is watching TV and as I make my way through the house think "why doesn't she just pause it?" But when I get to the den she is looking out the patio door and I take her lead and look too. There in the back corner of the yard is a gopher or groundhog or woodchuck. (all terms are acceptable) We watch him disappear into the forsythia hedge then pop back out again. Then he runs up along the fence looking for a way through it. Finally he turns toward the patio and comes up to the screen claws at it as if to try to get in. At this point I holler and he runs off along the back of the house. I quickly come back into the house, get my glasses and sandals and go out looking for him. He is not in sight but I look between the house and the shed and it appears that there is a slight hole under the shed. It doesn't appear large enough for him to get in, but I think I should take precautions. I put some leaves over it to see if they are moved when I check later in the day. Later I am sitting on the patio reading and out of the corner of my eye I spot him again. He comes right up to the screen again, about three feet from me, and again tries to get in. I stamp my feet and again he runs. This time I follow immediately. I again check between the house and shed and this time the hole is bigger and he is sticking his head out. Oh boy. Time to take action. I go in the house get a large plastic cup, fill it "in the bathroom", and then go out to the shed. As I approach the shed I see him run off in the neighbor yard. Knowing he isn't under the shed I splash some of the contents of the cup into the hole, then put some small pieces of concrete over it and splash the remaining contents of the cup. I check later in the evening and no sign of him. This morning I go out checking for signs of his return but find none. Today I will again pour some "gopher repellent" between the shed and house. If this fails and he returns I will next get a gun and shoot him. Actually a trap will be the next step.

Invisible man on third

I recently finished reading a book about the origins of baseball which detailed the first games as "town ball" which didn't have the rules that the present day game has. It was more fluid and flexible restricted by the number of players, the equipment and the availability of space to play. It made me think about the game of ball we played as kids. But then something in another book I read really jarred my memory which prompted me to write this post. As kids we too were fluid and flexible, never having enough kids for a real game of baseball, and never having a field to play in. We were lucky to have empty lots, a definite thing of the past, gloves and some questionable bats and balls. It is a good thing black electrical tape was available. We would use that to cover the ball when the cover came off, and to hold a cracked back from splitting apart. Our diamond was really a diamond because we didn't have the area to have a true square infield. But what I mainly remember is the number of different games we played. Without going into detail, I will list what I remember... "Three flies, six grounders", "Rollies at the bat", "One up", "Stick Ball", "Wiffle Ball" and "Running bases". This is all I can recall right now. Granted they weren't the traditional game of baseball, but were played with a bat, a ball and a glove. Usually these games were played because of only two or three kids being available to play. Of course there was always a simple game of catch, or what I guess would be called stoop ball where you would bounce a tennis ball or spaldeen against a stair or curb.

Is it worth it?

This is another petrol posting. (I was going to say gas, but I prefer alliteration.) Yes, another posting about the high cost of fuel for your internal combustion vehicle. Yesterday I needed to get gas in my truck even though it was at half a tank. I usually fill it back up when it gets to half because of the fear that the price will rise and because of the shock that I would have to endure in looking at the total after a fill up. The gas station out on the highway, about a quarter mile from the house, is selling regular for $3.91. It is 3n gas. No, that is not the type of gas, it is the name of the station. I know there are some who say that these stations are more likely to water down the gas or cheat the customer in other ways, but I haven't seen any problems yet. But, that is not what I am writing about. Down the highway about a mile and a quarter there is a BP (a name brand) which is selling gas for $3.89, although it is the cash price, with credit being $3.93. Now we get to the crux of this posting and today's observation. The obvious dilemma is whether to drive the extra two miles (one each way) to save two cents on a gallon. A little simple math now. Half a tank in my truck is about eight gallons. Eight gallons at two cents per gallon is a grand total of sixteen cents. When you are spending nearly $4.00 for one gallon, and over thirty dollars for half a tank, a mere sixteen cents doesn't really seem worth it. Does it?

Another passing

I could write a lot more postings if I noted every famous person who passed on, the last one being George Carlin. But this blog would then be nothing more than a list of deaths. With that said I will use this posting to note another passing. Madame Marie is no longer among the living. I wonder if she knew when she was going to die. Who is Madame Marie you ask? "Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie for tellin' fortunes better than they do?"

For more read the Full story.

Just a lot of hot air

I happened to find a website which offered seasoned toppings for popcorn. In itself, not a unique website. But I found it after reading an article on the health aspects of popcorn and the debate over air vs. oil vs. microwave. According to the many sites and articles, and also common sense, air is better than oil. I won't even consider microwave because I don't like the taste, no matter the brand or variety. I have always made popcorn in oil, made on the stove in a regular pot, but hated the clean up, and in getting older thought about the healthier air method. So, I looked further, found some reviews of air versus oil, and found many stated that air was as good as or better than oil. So, I looked further, which brought me to the seasoned topping site. They offered an air popper for purchase and also an oil mister to spray on the popcorn so their seasoned toppings would stick. It seemed that the oil mist would make up for any lack of taste from the lack of oil in cooking. I was intrigued. So, on a whim when I was in Kohl's I saw the recommended air popper and bought it. I figured I wouldn't need the mister because we use a no fat, no calorie butter spray. Which brings me to Saturday night. Movie time. I set up the popper, got the bowls ready, got out the butter spray and some salt and was ready to go. I will say the convenience of the air popper and the clean up put it way above my oil/pot method. But, even with the butter spray, the taste in no way measured up to the old way. Pat didn't finish her portion. I drowned mine in butter spray which made it palatable. My final conclusion after this experiment?

Anyone want an air popper?

A Sad Day

It isn't because I only watched NBC for my news. It isn't that he was such a well known newsperson. I think my shock at Tim Russert's death at 58 comes from a different viewpoint. Sure I have seen him during the elections with his grease board tracking the electoral votes, and an occasional viewing of Meet the Press, but it was reading his two books (Wisdom of Our Fathers and Big Russ and Me) and seeing him in interviews when the books came out that caused me to admire him and the relationship he had with his father and with his son as well as his love of baseball and life itself. So, it truly is a sad day.

New Flashdrive

Late in May, around the twentieth I was in the library parking lot on a rainy day, about to get in my truck when I saw what appeared to be a flashdrive laying on the ground against the curb. It was raining so I got in the truck but then thought better of it and got out to retrieve the drive. It was indeed a SanDisk 4 GB flashdrive. A couple days later I plugged it into my computer and saw that there were a lot of files on the drive, but I couldn't open them because they were all PC oriented. I did manage to open one file and translate it into a Mac program. It was a resume which gave the name and address of the what I assumed was the owner of the drive. I emailed him and he replied that he was very grateful because it was the only backup he had. I emailed him again saying that if his address was correct i would drop it off at his house. No reply. I emailed again. No reply. I emailed again and gave him my address saying I would leave it outside in a plastic bag. No reply. Finally at the beginning of this week I emailed once more saying that if I didn't hear from him by Friday I would assume he didn't want it and I would reformat and keep it for myself. No reply.

Is he dead? Is he in the hospital? Why doesn't he want it? Who knows? So much for being a good Samaratin. I could send it to him but I am not paying to ship something that he doesn't want. So, I have a new flashdrive.

Smell

I was riding my bike yesterday, a not unusual occurence, and as I came through a part of Keansburg I passed a swampy boggy area. With the heat, around eighty, and the surrounding environment I was transported back in time. They say that the sense of smell tied most closely to memory and thusly elicits memories with just a whiff of something familiar. The smell of the hot swampy area brought back memories of canoing as a young adult and as a parent with Kevin. All pleasant memories.

Trying something new

Trying new things (and when I say things I mean food or taste) is sometimes easy and sometimes not so easy. Of course as a child it is easy to say no when a parent would ask you to try some different food you had never tasted before. You were of course concerned with it being somehow unpleasant. But as an adult, if offered something new to taste, the response would be different because you would know that even if it were somehow unpleasant it would only be temporary. But there are occasions where the decision to try new things is a bit more difficult. What I have said so far is more of a sampling of new foods such as times when you are out to dinner and taste someone else's food, something you have never eaten before. But would you look at a menu and try something totally foreign to you? Then if it were an unpleasant experience your whole dinner would be ruined unless you had a dining partner who was willing to exchange dinner with you. And by this time you are probably wondering where I am going with this and why I am writing about this at all. Because I can? Because I have nothing else to do today while sitting her on the patio in this beautiful afternoon weather? Could be either, but it is actually neither. Yesterday morning I went to WAWA for two coffees and a Boston creme donut for my lovely wife. There are occasions where I will get a fat filled banana nut muffin instead of going home and having cereal with my coffee. This was one of those occasions where my will power was left at home. But in going for the banana nut muffin I saw they had a new flavor muffin. Pina Colada. Really? Yes, a Pina Colada Muffin. Dare I try it? I think, if I buy it and it is not to my liking, then I won't have anything for breakfast. Sure I could have cereal, but once committed to the banana nut muffin, anything less would ruin my morning and thus possibly my day. I could buy both muffins and this way have a fall back choice, but that is money wasted. What did I do? I bought the banana nut muffin, went home and enjoyed it with my coffee. So, you see why choices are sometimes easy and sometimes not when trying some new food? At least for me that is how it is.

Someone please explain

Okay, I know I have already had an blog entry concerning gasoline prices, but this morning I became extremely frustrated when I noticed that the price of gasoline had gone up six cents over night at the local station. What occurred overnight to warrant such an increase? I ask because I don't know. I went to my source for all things unknown, the internet, to see if I could find an answer. But alas I did not. I found many sites, many articles, and much information concerning crude oil and gas futures, supply and demand, macro and micro economics, refining capacity, and even politics and conspiracy. BUT, NOTHING about the cause of the daily change in gas prices. The tanker truck delivers gas to the station and it is put in tanks underground. Now, unless there is a delivery every day, the gas in the ground increases in value as the price goes up daily, as much as six cents a gallon as it did overnight. WTF? I really need an explanation. Of course with my limited readership I know I won't get an answer here and will just continue to be frustrated. But on the outside chance that someone does know, or knows where to look, I would really appreciate an answer.

I've Got Nuthin

It has been a while since I posted anything, so I felt obligated to sit down and write something. But as the title of this posting indicates, I've got nothing to say. My life has no events worth noting except for the looming event that is thirty working days away. Yes, Pat retires in thirty more school days. Oh boy. And you can read that "oh boy" any way you want. Every thing has been done for the retirement; all forms have been submitted, new insurance cards received; and nothing left to do except wait for the first retirement check. The only thing that hasn't been done is to make an appointment with a marriage counselor.

Change back from my dollar?

I stopped to get gas the other day and the gauge showed the needle to be half way between a quarter tank and the E for "start walking". The price for regular was $3.37 and the way the prices have been rising lately I thought maybe I should bite the bullet and fill the tank, which would last me a little more than two weeks, even with not having the greatest mpg. I figured the tank to be about fifteen gallons and a little quick math told me it would cost in the range of forty dollars. I had already filled up once in the past for thirty four dollars, which for me was unbelievable, so I knew what to expect. I did have a fifty in my wallet, so I pulled it out, told the guy to fill it with regular and that it was a cash purchase. I sat listening to some jazz on WBGO and then heard the click of the nozzle, indicating it was full. I glanced at the pump and it said $49.60. OMG. He squeezed another forty cents in, I handed him my fifty, told him to have a nice day, and drove away. But, OMG. Fifty dollar bill and no change. OMG. I have gotten fifty before, but that was fifty cents worth, back when I first started to drive. I am glad I don't commute to work and now can feel the pain of those that do.

Thoughts to ponder, continued

I was out riding my bike yesterday and for the first time in a long time had a canine experience. I used to carry pepper spray for fleeing from dogs, but haven't done so in many years. It seems as things become more urban, people have less of a tendency to let there dogs run loose. Thus it has been quite a while since my adrenalin has spiked from a pursuing dog. That brings me back to yesterday. Riding along, not on a rural road where I would be more wary of a dog, but in a developed area, I hear barking, look go my left and see a large German Shepherd mix bounding across the lawn angling toward me. Shifting into fear mode, I sped up and once past the property, looked back to see he had stopped. And that brings to me the thought to ponder.

If a person has their yard perimeter monitored by one of those invisible fences, does it really keep a dog inside? Does the dog simply sense it and stop? But will a large dog, traveling between fifteen and twenty miles an hour, bounding across the lawn, simply stop? Or because of his speed, will he hit the invisible barrier and be through it before he has a chance to stop? I know I could probably do a google search and spend time searching for answers, but I am content to ponder it on my own.

People

First let me say that the last entry was made on the first of April. No more needs to be said.

Now onto this post. Last week at this time we were on our way back from north central Pennsylvania where we were searching court records for clues to our ancestry. For anyone who wasn't there and wishes to consult a map, we were in Wellsboro and Blossburg looking for info on our forefathers who resided in Morris Run. On the map it will look like it is out in the middle of nowhere, and that is because it is. As for who "we" is, besides myself, it included my brother Rick, my brother Bob and his wife Judy. Of course that probably makes up more than half my readership, so I should probably include something in this entry that would interest them too. But first let me explain why I am making this entry. I should have made an entry or two while at the hotel, but we were always busy and I kept putting it off, being the procrastinator that I am. That is a topic for another entry which I will get to at another date. This entry is again about people. Again, you may ask. Yes, again. My last entry was about drivers, this time it is about people in general. At least people who reside in the area of Pennsylvania we were visiting. It is just an observation. Everyone, and that is everyone, without exception, that we came in contact with was genuinely nice. It was like a breath of fresh air to have such cordial unhurried contact with other members of the human race. Helpful and accommodating without reservation. It may sound like it is an unusual experience for me, and that is because it is unusual.

But the whole trip couldn't have gone by without some person trying my patience. On the way home Rick and I pulled into a gas station somewhere in PA off of I-80. All the pumps were taken and we pulled behind a minivan with out of state plates. The hose wasn't in the car, so we figured the vehicle would be moving soon so we could get our gas. BUT NOOOOOOO! The woman and her kids were inside the minimart. So we have to wait til she comes out, gets the kids in the car and then takes two or three tries to maneuver around the car in front of her. Rick will attest to my lack of patience with her. I have encountered these people before. "Oh, I won't be more than a minute in the store so I can leave my car anywhere I want." Inconsiderate white trash.

Okay, I have said my piece.

WaWa incident

A couple weeks ago I was at WaWa getting gas and then went inside for a cup of coffee. I do like their coffee. I used to like 7-11, but now prefer WaWa. But I digress. After coming out of the store I got in my truck and found I was blocked in by someone else's car. They were parked illegally, which is a topic for another entry. I was going to sit there and wait for them and then give them a stare when they came out, but decided instead to try to get around them. I pulled up as far as I could go and then managed to inch my way around them as I backed out. As I cleared the car by inches I felt like it would have been better if I had just plowed into it. It is at these times I wish I had a rubber car. Anyway I made it out of the space, backing out around the car, and as I shifted into drive I saw the driver of the car walking toward it. I gave him a look and then drove off. Well, I thought it would end there. Yesterday I am sitting reading a book when there is a knock on the door. I open it to a cop who asks if that is my truck in the driveway. I said yes, and then he asked if he could come in. At this time my knees were weak. He explained that someone said I was a hit and run driver, and then that it was someone at the local WaWa who was making the complaint. I then went through the whole thing with him about being blocked and maneuvering around the car without hitting it. He seemed to believe me, saying that the guy who made the complaint couldn't show any damage on the car or anything, but they had to followup anyway. He told me not to worry about it, and if there was anything else he would contact me. So, now I sit and hope that it is all in the past.

Left Lane Louies

So, yesterday Pat and I went in to the city to see Curtains, a musical starring David Hyde Pierce. My review would be to say it was very good. Not excellent like Spamalot, but very good. Four stars out of five. But that isn't what this post is about. The final curtain came down at 4:30, and with a little tunnel traffic, we pulled into our driveway an hour and ten minutes later. We probably could have made it quicker if it weren't for all the Left Lane Louies on the road. These are the drivers who insist on staying in the left lane even though they have a line of cars behind them and no cars in front of them. They are simply oblivious to what is going on around them, even if they aren't talking on the phone. Traffic wasn't that heavy going or coming, but these drivers for some reason must find comfort knowing no cars are on their left. One car entered the Turnpike, stayed in the right lane for no more than five seconds then crossed the middle lane and settled into the left lane despite cars coming up behind him obviously going faster. Because of their refusal to move over they cause other drivers to pass on the right, weave in and out just to try to get ahead of them. This puts everyone on the road at risk for an accident. And when you pass them and look over at them it is really obvious that they are oblivious. They are driving like they are on a two lane country road. I just kept asking myself why all the way home. Someone please tell me why. So, if anybody who is reading this recognizes themselves as a Left Lane Louie, please comment and let me know WHY. I need to now to ease my frustration on the road. Now in the past I have been called Right Lane Ray by my children, but Pat will attest that yesterday was not the case and I had very little patience for these airheaded drivers. Rental trucks, pickups with a load in the back, and cars from out of state. No reason for them to be in the left lane. No reason at all. I was beside myself with frustration. Why, why, why???

Well, I guess I got that point across. One more thing. Coming down the Turnpike, as we passed Newark Airport, the incoming flight pattern was from the south so the planes were coming in right at us over the highway. At that point of the landing they have already throttled back and seem to be suspended in air on the final approach. And despite knowing about lift, aerodynamics, the drag coefficient and all the physics mumbo jumbo, I still maintain there is no way something as large and as heavy as that should be up in the air.

Thank god for Xanax.

A Late Thought

For a person who works the midnight shift (12 to 8), when we turn the clocks ahead, do they get paid for seven  hours or eight?

Mr. Klaven is a genius.

The Buffalo Theory

In one episode of Cheers, Cliff is seated at the bar describing the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm. The concept has never been explained any better than this.....

“Well, you see Norm, it’s like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest animals in the herd. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest animals that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.

In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way regular consumption of alcohol eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine.

And that Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.”

Roundabout

Yesterday Pat and I were driving along Route 520, going from Route 18 to Route 35. If you aren't familiar with that I am not sure it really matters. Well, maybe it does. Along 520 there is an entrance to Brookdale Community College. I hadn't been past it in a few years, having ridden my bike in the area many times in the past, so when we approached the entrance I was flabbergasted. Yes, flabbergasted. I don't get flabbergasted much, but this was an exceptional case. The entrance off of 520 had always had a traffic light. But as we approached the college entrance I thought I was in the wrong area, because there was no traffic light.

In New Jersey, noted at one time for its many circles, or roundabouts, or rotaries, this was a very unusual site. Over the years New Jersey has eliminated nearly all of the circles on the its roads. So it was very surprising to see that in this day and age they have actually elminated a traffic light and in its place created a circle. Bizarre is the word that comes to mind. I would have loved to have been at the planning board meeting for that one.

Click here to see a map of the modern roundabout and how to maneuver through it.

After further research it seems that this new smaller circle is popping up in many states where traffic control is needed.  Amazing.  See some here.

Which is correct?

I was in the truck this morning and a promotion came on the radio having to do with the Yankees. Normally, and for obvious reasons, I would simply not listen, but something caught my attention. The question arose in my mind as to which is correct. Is it "I am a Yankee hater" or is it "I am a Yankees hater"? Of course I only use Yankees because it was a Yankees commercial. I could have used Brave/Braves, or Philly/Phillies, of Patriot/Patriots. It is just an example. But am I a Met fan, or a Mets fan? If I am a Met fan then one would ask, "which Met are you a fan of?". And despite ending that sentence in a preposition, it seems to bear out that Mets fan would be correct. But then a followup question would be the correctness of that without the possessive apostrophe. It would be Mets' fan. Or would it. In summary, putting together the conclusions I have come to in this short but enlightening post, I am a Mets' fan, and I am a Yankees' hater. BUT, I am also a Yankee hater. Which would lead one to ask the question, "which Yankee?". And that would be obvious, wouldn't it? Of course it would be really obvious if Mr. Steroid were still an active player, but without him it leaves only ARod. So, there you have it. I hope everyone has learned something from reading this post.

Petrol

Gas prices. In the past two weeks the price of gasoline in our area has gone up just over twenty cents. It wasn't but a few years ago when a rise of a few cents would foster letters to the editor espousing conspiracy theories, collusion, and how the government should investigate. But now twenty cents and noone bats an eye. The only articles in the paper are about how the nationwide average should be near four dollars a gallon by the end of the year. FOUR DOLLARS A GALLON. And yet people still keep driving those gas guzzling tanks. Granted my truck doesn't get the best mileage, but I don't drive more than 7500 miles a year. People have very short memories, or are too young to remember the gas shortages of the early seventies. Lines at gas stations that stretched out onto roads and highways. After that there was a brief call for automakers to make more fuel efficient vehicles, but soon they were back to the large oversized SUVs. Does anyone really need a Hummer? I long for the day when I first had my license and drove to the gas station to get two dollars worth of regular. It cost 26.9 cents. You could always scrounge around in your car for change to get a couple of gallons. Now gas is more than ten times that.

Different points of view

I am painting. No, not in oils or water colors on canvas. Rather latex on walls. Why am I painting? Because we got a new couch and love seat for the living room. Did we pick colors that went not only with the carpeting but also with the walls? Nope. So, now I have to paint the walls to compliment the furniture and carpet. Remove wallpaper border first, then prime, then paint. Yuck. And why did we get new furniture? Why? Because Pat no longer liked the flowered pattern on the couch and love seat. Nothing wrong with the furniture; she was just flowered out. I on the other hand could have lived with the living room the way it was for a few more years. Oh, who are we kidding. I could have lived with the present look until they either carry me out in a body bag or pack me up and take me to a nursing home. So, I guess there are two different points of view on this. Which one prevailed? Answer? I am painting.

The Passing of The Sign Man

It seems that a lot of my posts are about the passing of people who I remember from years gone by.  This can only mean that I am getting older.  With this post we remember Karl Earhardt.  Who is he, some might ask?  Anyone who followed the Mets in the sixties and seventies knows who he was, but those outside the metropolitan area probably never heard of him.  Here is a link to a NY Times article in 2006.  article

Mucus

Being in the sixth day of the common cold I felt compelled to make an observation. I find it astounding how much mucus the human body can produce while a cold runs it course.