The problem with slathering yourself with sunscreen, even really advanced Japanese or Korean formulations- is that hours later I still feel slathered and have to wash it off.

www.reddit.com/r/amateurrad... #hamradio #amateurradio

I worry that this might be it for my irises this year. They seem stunted. I did do some substantial work on the beds this year.

Damnit, the BBC is shutting off their longwave transmitters next month.

Argh. Canada is shutting down CHU. Your time station. First weather, now this. Boo, hiss.

Tonight’s dinner was pork dumpling burgers with a salad. It was good.

I have received the certified copies of my great-grandmother’s birth registration from the Archives of Ontario. Now, to document Dad…

Welcome to my Year of Convective Risk.

I need me some Bob’s Burgers.

Our steaming fuckwad Chief Justice Roberts needs to explain just how the court is apolitical. He is as least the new Nixon.

Took today and tomorrow off so I can prepare for my trip to the Dayton Hamvention. I hope to buy a nice DC power supply for my UHF/VHF base station. And lots of coax and perhaps an antenna. I also rowed 7.7 km. Yay, me.

I love it when I have the audacity to confound faculty by being good at my job.

Dinner was homemade double black bean burgers with fries.

I am digging the Crisjen Avasarala-heavy parts of Caliban’s War. I want to be her when I grow up.

There. Took a couple days off. Yanked out more lilies. Removed quite a lot of poison ivy without getting any on me. And this morning I rowed 7 km. *dies*

Tonight we enjoy the resolution and wide soundstage of the Hifiman Edition XS…

Still ripping out lilies. They are tenacious.

I shouldn’t have listened to WDET while they played their NPR newsdrivel. I love them in spite of their NPR affiliation not because of it.

Sunday call to Dad. He was chipper. He’s working on Spring stuff. I’m not feeling as downbeat. I think he is recognizing that he needs to accept some limitations but is still ornery enough to try to do too much. I dug out a bunch of lilies and tried to take out the annoying bindweed. So, progress.

Tonight’s feature: The Big Bus (1976). Spiritual predecessor of Airplane!

The Expanse? I’m soaking in it. Have reread Leviathan Wakes, The Churn, Drive, The Butcher of Anderson Station, and have just started the re-read of Caliban’s War. Since I have already read the nonology I am not being a stickler for the reading order of the novellas and short stories.

Forgive me. I am full of despair. Why? Fuck me with a chainsaw- we wanted to buy a consumer good through a brick and mortar. A lightweight comforter/blanket. Both JCPenney and Macy’s were deserted. Their bedding departments were devoid of product. Whole aisles were empty. It screamed collapse.

Local utility showed up unexpectedly in front of my house this am. Three large dump trucks. I have been told that the jackhammering has begun. No warning. No explanation given. I am dissociating. And I’m not even there.

Saw Dad yesterday. We all went out to eat, which was fun. But it’s pretty clear that he is winding down. He talked about not really wanting to work out anymore. I mean, yeah, he’s 89 and on oxygen. But this is a distinct change. Nothing great is on tap for either one of us at this point.

Yes, I have always wondered what would happen if Enchiladas and Nachos had a baby. I have also wondered what would happen if Drew and I had a baby.

They keep me sane.

Whoo-hoo! I was unexpectedly surprised today when I received very official looking Birth Certificates for my grandfather! He’s my Gen1. I need to get my citizenship photos and start organizing my application packet. I was led to believe that I wouldn’t get them until June

Aaaaand. We’re in the basement.

All this severe weather provides diversion from existential loneliness and despair, I guess.

The Archives of Ontario has located my great-grandmother’s Birth Registration! Just waiting for the official request for payment and I can get the documentation for my GenO.

My favorite so far.

Currently inked pens! Left to right: 1.) TWISBI ECO (Taiwan) in green. Inked with Wearingeul Hades (black with blue/green shimmer, from Korea). 2.) TWISBI Diamond 580 AL (Taiwan) in prussian blue. Inked with Sailor Manyo Yomogi (pretty, nuanced blue, from Japan).

Here's a start

I was good and used the Waterrower for 40 minutes. Now, I want to undo it with ice cream.

So, I am starting to re-read the Expanse books, but this tine I am going to include the novellas and short stories. Just finished Drive and The Churn is next. About 3/4s through Leviathan Wakes.

Creepy headphone stand… on my newly assembled living room listening station

Aaaand, tornado sirens. *glances at weather radar on phone* Nope. I think somebody goofed.

Another foul weather day. Flood warning. What better time is there to hook up my Meze Audio headphones to my tube amp. I have not paired them before. The adapter from my iPhone was being flaky, but I think it is OK now.

Well, since the present is- —intractable. I succumbed to the ever-present pull of nostalgia and watched Scrubs. And yeah, it was familiar and I enjoyed it. But, it was sadder.

I’m hanging by a thread as it is, I’m not going to watch that buffoon, off-gassing lies. WDET, to their credit, is not carrying the speech.

I got down on the floor to give Tinker some pets. May have to call the fire department to get assistance getting back up.

This pretty much sums up mid to late March for me. …lousy Smarch weather…

Today is Pi-Hole day! A co-worker of Marc’s bought a Raspberry Pi 5, and I’m gonna turn it into a Pi-Hole for her and save her network from ads!

On Fridays we relax and listen to the Don Was Motor City Playlist on WDET. …and look at my groovy new ceiling lighting…

It’s been a month. So I rang up the Archives of Ontario and my request for reproduction and certification has been received and assigned to an archivist. A month wait is expected due to the deluge of requests. I’m just gonna sit back and keep waiting…

Say what you will, but a Korean honey-butter potato chip wouldn’t even consider dissing me because I am too old, or insufficiently furry.

So. I need advice. I need to know how to do social media. I feel like I am failing at it.

It is Wednesday.

Today was the day things went back to normal. Except, no. Still sick. Rowing made me cough too much. Bored. Very bored. Tomorrow looks like a sick day.

I was brought a piping hot Lemon Lift tea. Probably as a result of my room rattling cough. Boo, hiss.