That was a nice drop in temperature

This morning it was 60 and kinda muggy. Then the cold front rolled through along with a nice little thunderstorm and the temp dropped about 20°.

I went from a shorts & a t-shirt to jeans & a flannel shirt.

Welcome to New England.

⧫

The Red Sox got their ass kicked yesterday and by ass kicked, I mean they looked bad.

I saw two errors get committed on one play that should have been a double play but instead turned into 2 runs.

My wife even remarked that they looked pretty bad. This is coming from a woman who unless one of her kids is playing, could care less about baseball.

They have one more game against the Cubs at 8:00 tonight and hopefully they'll win this one.

⧫

I'm going to make some dinner and then settle in to watch some baseball.

Here are a few links that might entertain or enlighten you:

• Cops being cops.



• Do not get your haircut in Cleveland.



• How do you catch a terrorist? This is how.



• You gotta love dogs.

Today would have been a good day to fly.

Unfortunately, the rental aircraft are always in use over the weekend because that is when most students take their lessons.

Oh well.

⧫

Instead, we did our grocery shopping and ran into our old friend Chris. He also does his grocery shopping bright and early on Saturday morning.

After that, my wife put our bedroom back together and did her famous "spring cleaning" on the master bath.

Everything looks pretty good and we are both pleased with the way things turned out.

⧫

The Red Sox managed to barely hold off the Cubs last night and they won the game 5-4.

Today they played at 4:00 and as I type this, they are in the 3rd inning and the score is 1-0, Red Sox.

Lackey is pitching for the Cubs and he's not doing very well. He's spending a lot of time barking at the umpire over missed pitches. I don't miss him pitching for the Red Sox because he spends a lot of time yapping at his teammates and the officials like everything is someone else's fault.

Wright seems to be doing okay today. His last two starts kind of sucked so I'm hoping he may have figured out how to pitch again and things will be fine.

⧫

I'm going to make some pizza and watch the rest of the game. Hopefully the Red Sox prevail and pick up

While I do that, you can visit these links:

• There's nothing funny or shocking about this link. I just thought it was important for you to see the story.



• Man, this guy really likes his paint.



• People will pay money to do anything. People are stupid.



• Attention ladies: Here's an effective method for warding off the lecherous idiots at the bar.



• Key phrase in this story: "...police aren't sure what crime has been committed but owners would just like it to stop."



• In other words, me and eight of my friends haven't done this.

Attention Boston Red Sox:

You need to remember that the team that steps on home plate the most wins the game.

And to all those people whining about "Please come back Big Papi", let me remind you that Ortiz hit into more double plays than most players. He is not the answer to their woes right now. They need to start playing what is known as "small ball".

They need to stop thinking about hitting the ball out of the park and start thinking about hitting singles or doubles that move runners along one base at a time. Instead of trying to hit the ball over the wall, think about moving the guy from third to home.

They have great pitching that is holding the opposing teams to only 2 or 3 runs so all they need to do is score 4 or 5 runs.

That's not impossible, it just takes a change in thinking.

⧫

Well, I have finally finished all of my projects and put my tools away.

I'm pleased with the way all three rooms turned out. They look sharp, almost like they were brand new construction.

I'm pretty sure my wife has a few more projects floating around in her head but for right now, I am done.

⧫

Tonight the Cubs roll into Boston and I'll be watching.

While I do that, you can enjoy these links:

• I'm betting that around the Russell barracks, Trooper Matthew Kane is now known as "Tex"



• These are your pants. These are your pants on drugs. Any questions?



• This is some pretty funny television.



• I'd say only in Florida but we got geese up here that do the same thing.

Not good flying weather

I remember last year at this time my instructor was always calling and postponing our flying lesson because of crappy weather and this year isn't much better. Every time I plan on flying, the weather has different plans and I end up not flying.

But I do remember that in the month of May, things got much better and I was able to pretty much fly whenever I had the time. I'm hoping that's going to be the case again this year because May is right around the corner and I'd like to fly.

⧫

Well, the Red Sox managed to lose to the Yankees last night despite a decent showing from Procello. Once again, it's the bats that are failing them. Hell, they didn't get their first run until the ninth inning.

Hopefully they play better tonight.

⧫

Here are some hyperlinks that will cause your browser to send the Uniform Resource Locator over port 80 to a server that will return data via the HTTP protocol to your browser for display.

Who knows, you might enjoy it:

• Only in Florida.



• Alaskan women.... Do not mess with them.



• Somewhere in my brain there is a great joke about Irish woman.



• Only at Walmart.



• Fat Beaver would be the perfect name for a Austin Powers villain.



• Don't fear the stock market but be very leery of Wall Street investment firms.



• Here's a great headline.

The new GFCI outlets are a pain in the butt

The new GFCI outlets (the special ground fault ones you use near sinks and in bathrooms) are a pain in the ass. They redesigned them and they are now tamper-resistant which means the slots now have little gates in them that will not open unless something is pushed into both slots at the same time. In other words, your little kid can no longer jam a paper clip or a fork into one of the slots and electrocute himself.

The problem is that when they say the gates will only open when something is plugged into both slots at the same time, they mean at precisely the same time. If you tilt the plug just a bit one way or the other, the gates won't open. You need to be perfectly straight on to the outlet to plug something in.

Modern society is trying it's best to frustrate us and drive us to a new level of insanity.

⧫

I have a meeting this evening and then the Red Sox are hosting the Yankees. That means this post is short and to the point.

Here are some links.

• This could have ended very badly for the guy using the back hoe.



• Only in Florida.



• And this is why you want to be using WPA2 to protect your WiFi network.



• Are they saying this is against the law?

My grass seed is enjoying the rain

We are still listed as "Dry" in by the University of Nebraska US Drought Monitor:

Hopefully the rain predicted over the next several days will turn this to normal and my lawn will once again be a green carpet of whatever it is that decides to grow there.

⧫

The Red Sox / Yankees game has been postponed due to rain. They'll play a double-header on July 16th. This means there is nothing on television that I want to watch so I'll either watch bad YouTube videos or fall asleep early.

While I do that, you can visit these links:

• This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?



• I gotta be honest with you, I wasn't going to post this because it borders on pornography but then I thought about it for a few minutes and said, what the hell, it's funny.



• Maybe he needed them to help him eat an apple.



• The problem is not guns. The problem is people who are stupid enough to carry guns around in a backpack. Either lock your guns in a gun safe or carry them in a holster. Anything else is asking for trouble.



• I'm thinking the last people anyone should piss off are the Australians.

No baseball and no projects

The Red Sox are on an off-day today and so am I.

I put the baseboards back together this morning and ran a few errands. Then I scratched a few more dead spots in my lawn and seeded them. The spots I had seeded previously have begun to sprout and it looks like I might actually have some type of lawn this year.

Then again, that's entirely up to the rain gods.

⧫

The other day, a flight attendant on American Airlines got a little aggressive with the way he handled a customer and her oversized stroller. This has generated a lot of talk in the media about whats going on with air travel.

I can tell you what's wrong - People are treated like shit when they fly and it's beginning to show.

Here's a short list of what is pissing people off:

The first thing you learn is that your ticket price is a lie because there are some additional fees, surcharges and taxes that you'll have to pay before you can go on that dream vacation. That means the $400 ticket you just bought is now $550.

Then you discover that if you want clothes while you're away from home, you have to pay a baggage fee because what the hell, if you can afford $550 to fly, what's another $25.

Next up is when they tell you to arrive at the airport two hours before your flight's scheduled departure time so that you can....

...stand in a line longer than the ones at Disney. And when you reach the end of the line, you get fondled by an overweight, sweaty 40 year old guy who is in a bad mood because he's been dealing with the traveling public for the better part of 8 hours.

While you are going through the process of trying to get on the plane, you get to deal with authoritarian petty bureaucrats who have the power to make arbitrary decisions about you such as whether or not you are going to have to go into a small room and get strip searched by a small band of government thugs.

And God forbid you should say something in line like, "Did you see that bomb that Brady threw in the 2 second period!" If you are stupid enough to say something like that, you can bet you'll be spending your much-anticipated vacation sitting in a small windowless room being asked a lot of questions about where you were born by three guys in dark sunglasses.

Once you reach your gate, you get to stand in another line while you wait for the fat chick in row 5 who is trying to jam the 3' x 4' carry-on into an overhead compartment designed for a 2' x 3' bag.

When you finally reach your assigned seat, you discover that you are going to spend your flight sitting in a seat that most 4 year old children would find small and uncomfortable.

During your flight, you will also get to enjoy a close, familiar relationship with two hundred people who may, or may not, have bathed in the last several days.

As your flight progresses, you will find yourself becoming stressed out over missing your connection because you only have a half hour to cover the mile between gates at an airport you are unfamiliar with.

And that, my friends, is why people are getting pissed off and why they feel justified reacting with anger and rage at the drop of a hat. Flying used to an enjoyable experience that people looked forward to. Now they feel lucky if they arrive at their destination with their dignity intact.

I have my pilots license so when I fly, I go when I want with whom I want. There are no flight attendants or bathrooms but what the hell, I don't get manhandled by large men in blue gloves and the only body odor I have to deal with is mine.

⧫

While I try to find John a new laptop, you can click on these links:

• Based on her mug shot, I'd say there is very little chance she is a rocket scientist.



• Hey! They named a light after me!



• Some people are a little to attached to their beer.



• Key phrase in this story: "Police say after two minutes, they heard a window open, followed by a loud thud."



• Teacher, and mom, of the year.



• Pfffttttt..... College students....



• Only in Florida.

Baseboards are done.

Today was spent sanding and painting all of the pieces that make up the baseboard heaters in the bedroom and bathroom. Despite wearing a filtration mask, I now have a raging headache and white snot from inhaling all the dust and paint.

Tomorrow, after everything is good and dry, I'll put the baseboard back together and finally put my tools away. I have a few minor paint defects on the bathroom wall that I need to take care of before I can call this project done but those can wait for Tuesday when it's going to rain.

⧫

The Red Sox managed to lose last nights game but they won this afternoons game. So they only took 1 game of the 3 game series.

There was a time, not too long ago, when the Orioles couldn't beat the Red Sox if you spotted them 5 runs. Every time the Red Sox went up against them, it was going to be a win for Boston.,

The last two seasons has seen a change in that and the Red Sox are now the ones that can't win for trying when they play the Orioles.

I hope it changes back soon because they play the Orioles a lot during the season.

⧫

You might enjoy these links:

• Only in Florida.



• Presenting this episodes Brilliant Criminal of the Day.



• This is why I stay away from sacred ponds.



• I've never seen "extraneous golf ball" as an ingredient before...

Lots of painting today

I spent no time reading or watching the news but the bathroom is completely painted. As well as finishing the painting in the bathroom, I also managed to sand the baseboard heaters and put a coat of enamel on them.

Things are coming together nicely.

⧫

Right now I'm watching the Red Sox play the Orioles. They lost last night they are tied 2-2 in the 4th
in tonight's game. Hopefully things go the Red Sox way tonight and they manage to win.

As for me, I'm going to fall asleep soon so you're on your own for finding interesting links.

Moving right along.

I managed to finish up the plastering and then paint the edges and corners in the bathroom. Tomorrow I'll apply a second coat of paint on the edges and then roll the walls. Usually a roller covers pretty good so I'm hoping I only need one coat. If the roller doesn't cover in one coat, I'll put the second coat on this Sunday.

I also managed to replace two light switches in the first floor hallway. This completes the current wave of light switch replacement.

⧫

So now that my back and legs hurt from the contortions I had to do to reach all the edges and corners, I'm going to sit back in my recliner and watch the Red Sox play the Orioles.

You can bet I'll be giving Farrell some of my sage advice via my special coaching TV. Specially if Pomeranz falls apart and Farrell decides to leave him in.

While I'm doing that, you can check these links out.

• Key phrase in this Florida story: "I’m too drunk to do that, just take me to jail."



• Only in Florida.



• Key phrase in this story: "Replica weapons, even those belonging to Horde Chieftains, must be packed in checked bags."



• Only in Florida.

Slow progress on the current project

Seems like I spend an hour working on it and then 4 hours waiting for something to dry.

I spent an hour or so removing all of the old caulking which caused me to gouge the wall in some places. After all the caulking was gone, I slathered on the plaster to patch the holes and fill-in where the paint had chipped. Then I sat around watching baseball while I waited for the plaster to dry.

Tomorrow will be removal of all the fixtures and plastering any imperfections left behind. If the plaster dries fast enough, I might actually be able to get the trim done and then paint the walls.

I'd like to be finished with this project before Monday.

⧫

They finally found the 50 year old teacher and his 15 year old girlfriend. He's under arrest and she's going home to her family.

How screwed up does a 50 year old married guy have to be to find a 15 year old attractive? Man, talk about completely different generations. What the hell could they possibly have in common?

Stick to your own decade ya freakin' weirdo...

⧫

The Red Sox managed to beat the Blue Jays 4-1 today, taking 2 of the 3 games in the series. Chris Sale pitched a hell of a game but because Kimbrel gave up a game tying home run, Sale didn't get the win.

They head to Baltimore to play 3 games against the Orioles before heading back to Boston for a 10 game home stand.

⧫

Sorry about the link lackage yesterday. I didn't have a lot of time for interwebsurfing.

I'll try to make up for it with today's links:

• Super Mighty Preemptive Strike would be a great name for a 1980's Nintendo game.



• I'm not sure I would call them "extremist" but I would like them to stop wandering around my neighborhood asking me if I want to chat.



• Maybe they shouldn't have moved their factory out of the US...



• Facebook Live is just another venue for idiots to go to jail.



• If you are a breathalyzer administrator and you know you have to give yourself a breathalyzer as part of your certification, you probably shouldn't drink before hand.



• This must mean that everyone in my family is brilliant.



• Yes, cops have a sense of humor.



• Only in Florida.

Way too much going on

My day started with a burned out headlight.

If you've never changed a headlight on a Volvo, good for you. Trust me, they aren't easy and I recommend you go to a mechanic.

I spent at least an hour ripping various pieces parts out of the engine compartment so I could get to the bulb. Once I had access, I was able to find a replacement bulb on my workbench from a two-pack I had purchased last month,

With the headlight all aglow, I could go to Home Depot and pick up the crap I needed to continue my work on the bathroom. Things like drop clothes, shower valve escutcheon (beauty ring around the valve), paint brushes, etc....

I got home and decided I needed to clean the bathroom exhaust fan so I took the grate down and removed the machinery.

This is what I found...

Trust me, it took me about an hour plus to clean that. The dust was concreted into the fan blades and embedded into the motor.

I guess that's what 25 years of bathroom exhaust looks like...

After that, I replaced the cracked shower valve escutcheon.

That was an annoying event since the hex nut that releases the valve handle is embedded into the handle at a weird angel. It took me more than a few minutes to get the hex wrench into the right place to release the handle.

The new escutcheon is not cracked. As a matter of fact, it looks pretty damned nice. This will make my wife happy.

Then it was off to help out my wife's cousin with some work at their house. I removed a messy electrical connection, off-loaded some data from some hard drives and then did a bit of finish work on a fence stave.

Finally. I checked in on my friend Jim who had his knee replaced a month ago.

Now I'm home watching the Red Sox and they are losing.

I have no links for you today. Perhaps there will be some tomorrow.

It seemed like a nice day for flying.

Before I get to the flying, let me pass on some friendly advice to all of you:

If a relative or friend of yours goes out and summarily executes an old man at random, you should never use the phrase, "He was a nice guy" to describe him.

No, he wasn't a nice guy and you look like an idiot for claiming that he was.

He was a cowardly murderous piece of shit and our planet is better off without him.

This has been today's friendly piece of advice.

⧫

I went flying at 9:00 this morning because the Aviation Weather Service listed the winds as being from 320° at 9 kts. Unfortunately, the winds had different ideas and they varied between 0° to 50°. This meant no matter which runway I used, either 14 or 32, I was in a direct crosswind.

Pat, you will be happy to hear that I made one trip through the pattern just to make sure I could still land without incident and I did. Much smoother than last time we flew.

After my one trip around the pattern, I took a nice leisurely flight east to the Quabbin, north to Orange, west to the Connecticut river, south to the city of Northampton and finally into the pattern at the airport where I landed and called it a day.

When I turned west over the Quabbin to head to the river, I took this picture looking south.

The reservoir appears to be filling up quite nicely. There is still some exposed sand bars but nothing like it was last September.

By the way, that large island on the left is the island where they want to reintroduce the timber rattler.

⧫

The Red Sox are playing up in Toronto this evening and I will be in my recliner offering them my sage advice via my special coaching television.

While I do that, you should visit these links:

• People will pay money to do the dumbest things.



• I actually think pilots should be armed.



• That's because parents are the ones who need it!



• You should watch this before Dear Leader has it removed and executes the tour guide.

Let the next project begin

I started the master bathroom project today.by painting the ceiling. I can't brag too much about that feat because the ceiling is probably 6 feet by 6 feet.

Admittedly it took me two hours to paint the ceiling plus I had to make a Home Depot run when I discovered I was out of paint rollers but not a big struggle.

Hell, I was done in time to watch most of today's baseball game.

⧫

So all of a sudden, people are crawling out of the woodwork and telling the media about the terrible experience they've had on United. If you listen to the news, it's almost as if United enjoys pissing off it's customers. I picture the CEO sitting in his office behind a massive mahogany desk, rubbing his fingertips together and saying, "Excellent Smithers!" on a regular basis.

Here's the thing....

We all sign the contract of carriage. We all give up our rights when we enter a public-use mode of transportation. The only difference between the captain of a plane and the captain of a ship is that the ship moves on the water and the plane moves in the air.

When you enter a plane, you are under the command & control of the flight crew. If they give you an order, even if it's given like a suggestion, you are under an obligation to follow that order. Period. End of discussion.

I have been flying on civil aviation for more than 50 years. Back in the 90s and early 2000's, I flew across the continent on a weekly basis for work and I have never once felt put out by the airlines. Yes, I've felt like they could have been a little more forthcoming with information during delays but that's about it.

I can tell you that the only bad experiences I've ever had on an aircraft were caused by arrogant, self-centered, idiotic passengers. People who think it's all about them and screw everyone else.

You know the people I'm talking about. They come in various flavors.

The "Arrive two hours before the scheduled departure time is just a suggestion" people who panic and then fly into a rage because they are about to miss their flight.

The "My carry-on bag is twice as big as allowed but I need it with me" people who smack you in the shoulder trying to get their 3x4 suitcase into a compartment designed to hold a 2x3 carry-on.

The "Turn off all electronic devices announcement doesn't apply to me" people who continue talking to Aunt Bernice about how rude the stewardess is.

The "I had seven vodka & sodas in the airport bar before the flight" people who are obnoxious drunks and really need to take a leak even though the plane is about to pull away from the gate.

The "You're just a stewardess who is here to wait on me" people who constantly demand things from a member of the crew who is trying their best to get the aircraft ready to fly.

The "Get out of my way, I need to get off the plane first" people even though they are in row 27 of a 30 row plane.

I have never been bumped because of an overbooking.

I have been delayed because of weather

I have been transferred from one airline to another due to a blizzard at a hub airport.

I have changed my preferred seat to accommodate a family who wanted to sit together.

I once put on my best "cop voice" and told some idiot who was giving the flight attendant a hard time that unless he sat his ass down in his assigned seat, put his seat belt on and shut the hell up, none of us was going anywhere and that, my friend, will piss all of us off.

I have never even come close to having a bad experience because of any airline policy. You know why? Because I follow their rules. They are simple rules, clearly stated, that help everyone get to where they want to go with as little risk as possible.

Flying is a dangerous thing and not just because of terrorists. It is dangerous because of gravity. Airlines work very hard to see to it that their aircraft continue to overcome gravity by doing things in a highly regimented, repeatable manner.

So while I think the guy who got his face slammed into an armrest and was then dragged out of the plane like a ragdoll did not deserve his injuries, he should have followed the rules. Yea, it sucked to be him but when he was given legal instructions by the flight crew to leave the aircraft, he should have followed them. Once he was off the plane, he could have taken his fight with United to whatever level he felt was appropriate.

If he had done that, he'd probably still have his teeth.

⧫

The Red Sox played baseball at 11:00 this morning and Wright managed to make up for his awful performance the last time he pitched. The Red Sox won the game and take 3 of the 4 games in the series.

I like it when they win series.

⧫

These links are here for the clicking:

• Key phrase that makes me a little nervous: "We're going to abandon the failed policy of strategic patience."



• Here's a shock: Two Kenyans won the Boston Marathon.



• Pffftttt.... Rednecks....



• It's all fun and games until someone gets kicked in the balls by a giraffe.
  (Keep your sound on)



• We call that a "happy ending"...

I hope you enjoyed your Easter Sunday

The Red Sox managed to win yesterday, giving Sale his first win as a member of the Red Sox. The man threw a hell of a great game and held the Rays to one run. The Red Sox bats didn't fare much better but it was enough to give them a 2-1 win.

Today's game was played at 1:30 and they were behind for the majority of the game. Then, in the 7th inning, they managed to take a lead and hold it till the end.

The game ended with the Red Sox winning 7-5.

Life is good.

⧫

I missed the first two innings of the game because I had to go pick up my mother-in-law. Our youngest drove in from New Hampshire with his girlfriend and we all sat down for a nice Easter dinner.

Our daughter FaceTimed us from Iowa during dessert and our oldest called us while he was driving home after spending his Easter working his shift at Beth Israel.

One way or the other, we got our family together for Easter.

Technology is a wonderful thing.

⧫

While I digest my dinner and fall asleep early, you can click on these:

• I like this Louisiana law. You should get locked up if you scream and swear at a 75 year old lady.



• Only in Walmart.



• Key phrase in this story: "...60 cows arrived out of nowhere..."

More dead grass removal

I scraped another chunk of dead lawn up today and I still have a lot to do. That drought really kicked the crap out of my lawn.

According to the drought people, we are still dry but improving. I suspect that the next review will show that we are no longer dry.

Who knows, maybe by next week we'll be wet.

⧫

The Red Sox got their ass kicked last night when Rick Porcello fell apart in the first inning. They ended up losing the game 10-5.

They are playing at 4:00 this afternoon and I'm really hoping they win this game. They need it in order to stay above .500

⧫

You can click on these links:

• He started down this path on the day he was born and his parents named him "Duffy Joe".



• Oh Canada.



• Australia: If the snakes don't kill you, the crazy drivers will.



• What is the deal with all these people going around imitating cops? Idiots.



• Here's another fetish I'll never freakin' understand.



• Only in Florida.

Too nice of a day to spend it indoors

This morning was grocery shopping for the upcoming Easter festivities. After that I sanded, stained and polyurethaned my window sills. Once that was done, I decided it was time to see if I could do something about my drought-destroyed lawn.

I raked up some of the dead spots (No, I'm not doing it all at once. I'm old and frail and that's hard work), spread some grass seed and then watered it good. I also filled in a low spot in the front yard where a tree used to be and ground had settled.

I gotta tell you, for the last 26 years, I have been dumping my grass clipping and leaves into a gully in my back woods. Today I scrapped off the top layer of leaves and found the most beautiful soil I've ever seen. It was a deep rich color and loaded with earthworms. That's what I used to fill in the low spot. It was the kind of dirt you would pay $10.00 a bag for at Home Depot.

Hopefully the seed takes and I will once again have a lawn. I'm also hoping we don't have another drought because that would make this all for naught.

⧫

You know what's going to suck? If President Trump manages to get us into a shooting war with North Korea. That's what is going to suck.

The man has been in office for all of 3 months and he's already got me thinking we're gonna end up in another quagmire over in South East Asia.

Haven't we done this already? Like two or three times? Once with Korea, then with Vietnam and then we went a few rounds with Cambodia in a clandestine manner.

I'm not saying Krazy Kim doesn't deserve a swift kick in the ass but please don't get us into a war with that nutcase. I feel bad for his people and the way they are suffering but I can't help but think that any escalating conflict over there will drag China and maybe Japan into it. Those people hate each other more than the Palestinians hate the Israelis and if they go at, it's gonna end poorly for all concerned.

Take a deep breath Donald and get off twitter for a few weeks.

⧫

How long before the United Continental Holdings Board of Directors decides it needs find a scapegoat for what happened and it fires the CEO?

I'm betting that there will be an announcement in the next few days that the BoD decided they needed someone in charge who could "right the ship" and make sure the customers are the number one priority at United.

Of course, Munoz will be given a multi-million dollar severance package and thanked for his years of service but that won't matter. What will matter is that people will forget about this disturbing little incident, UAL will once again be raking in mullions of dollars a day, customers will once again be treated like veal calves, herded into cramped little seats and the Contract of Carriage will continue to be the law of the skies.

⧫

The Red Sox are playing the Rays and first pitch is at 7:10.

While I watch that, you can click on these:

• Did they at least impound the Camaro after the second time?



• In the world of "stupid things women do to themselves", this ranks up there with injections to make their lips swell up and silicon butt injections.



• Attention ladies of Tinder: If you run across David Harlow, swipe left.



• Only at Walmart.

Lunch with my wife's family

My wife's aunt passed away several days ago and her daughter had a private service for her today. We met with them at 12:30 at the Brick House Tavern in Indian Orchard. It was a good time with them and the food was pretty darned good.

I feel bad for her daughter. She lives in Florida and she and her husband have been up here for the last 6 weeks trying to take care of her mom and her dad.

Dad is in an assisted living place now and with mom passing away, the house needs to be taken care of.

They have been packing up all the "stuff" in the house and cleaning it so they can put it on the market. And by stuff, I mean 50 years of accumulated detritus from the life of two people. Everything they ever owned was shoved into the basement and left to her to deal with.

This is not how they wanted to spend their retirement...

⧫

After that, it was watching the Red Sox try to recover from the beating they took last night.

Today's game was a make-up with the Pirates that was played at 2:00pm. The Red Sox managed to win this one which they really needed to do after last night's fiasco.

⧫

Here are some links you should look at:

• Apparently we dropped a MOAB.



• He was being a good big brother.



• The Davie, Florida police department has a sense of humor.



• Pink Floyd has a shrimp.



• Oh Canada.

We have lights

Turns out one of the switches I installed was defective. I replaced it and now we can once again see what we are doing when it's dark out.

While I had all my electrical stuff out, I decided to replace the light switches in the first floor hall, the stairway and the second floor hall.

I also completed the touch-up painting of the walls. All that's left to do is putting a coat of enamel on the baseboard heater and a coat of polyurethane on the window sills.

Next up is the master bathroom. Hopefully there will be no gotchas in this next project since it's basically just painting, replacing the light fixture and caulking around the counter top.

Then again, seems like every time I start something simple, I find ten things that need fixing that I didn't plan on fixing.

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The Red Sox beat the Orioles last night 8-1. It was a good game and I didn't watch any of it because I fell asleep on the couch.

I'm hoping to stay awake for tonight's game and I'm hoping that they'll win this one as well.

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Aside from the indoor stuff I did today, I managed to get some of the leftover oak leaves out of the gardens before the rain came. That means I didn't have a lot of time for interwebbing and I only found a few links.

Here they are:

• Key line in this story: "The man said he and his wife had been having troubles lately..."



• Only in Florida.



• Oh Canada.

The walls are kinda done

The electricity, not so much.

Things are not lighting up and I have no  idea why.

Hopefully I'll figure it out soon,

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While I try to figure it out, you can click on these or call it a night:

• Mountain Dew Spill would be a great name for a 1980s Burt Reynolds Movie.



• Possessed  by the devil is an interesting statement.

Two down, two to go.

Two of the walls are 99.9% complete. There are a few spots that need a little touch-up but they are, for all intents and purposes, done.

Tomorrow paint the other two walls and after that, I'll replace all of the electrical outlets and switches.

This project should be done before the weekend.

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So the Red Sox lost today which gives them a 3-3 record. Not a good way to start the season but then again, I don't think anyone expected them to win even one of those four games. Their lineup has been devastated by the flu and bereavement leave.

Tomorrow they start a seven game home stretch with two against the Orioles, a makeup against the Pirates and then four against the Rays. Hopefully those sick players make a comeback and get into the lineup.

They really need the bats.

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Here are some links you might enjoy clicking on:

• I don't understand these kids. Millions of dollars are on the line and they don't care.



• If you haven't heard about it yet, United Airlines is gonna get sued. Big time.



• Key phrase in this story: "He just wanted to be sent back to his favorite federal prison..."



• Yes, alcohol was involved.



• Other than that, it was a very touching service.

More taping, plastering and painting.

I didn't really spend a lot of time surfing the internets today so I don't have much for you.

I do know that the Red Sox won today which is a good thing because that losing streak they were on kinda sucked.

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I managed to find these few links for you:

• Only in Florida.



• Key phrase in this story: "The tower was disassembled and loaded onto a trailer..."



• Pffffttttt.... College students.



• IT's the Hap-hap-happiest place on earth!

I am not a painter.

I spent a good part of my morning doing the edging, or "cutting in" as the professional painters like to call it. I managed to do the top of the 2+ walls, around both windows, around the bathroom door and most of the freshly plastered spots.

After watching the Red Sox lose another game, I finished what was left of the top of the walls, went around the closet door and around the bedroom door.

That means that tomorrow I'll do the bottoms of the walls but that will get done in half hour shifts. That's about as long as I can stay bent over doing that job. Hopefully I last long enough to get all of it done and I can start rolling on paint on Monday.

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So like I said, the Red Sox lost again. Seems to me that Farrell has fallen right back into the habit of leaving his starter in the game for one too many innings. Rodriguez started falling apart in the 4th inning and Farrell sent him back in for the 5th and that's when the fecal matter hit the oscillation device.

Why does Farrell have this "let him work it out" attitude? Why does he leave in a pitcher who is obviously having a problem finding the strike zone?

I miss Torey Luvollo.

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These links are the ones I found while watching the Red Sox lose:

• Presenting this episodes Brilliant Criminal of the Day.



• Only in San Francisco.



• Only in Florida.



• That's what he gets for wearing a suit on a roller coaster.



• Our species is getting more and more insane.

We have a color.

We, meaning my wife, picked out the paint color for our bedroom today. That means I can paint the walls this week. Also, the windows sills need a coat of poly and one of them is a little loose but that should be an easy fix.

I should be all done with this project before Easter.

Next up is the master bathroom. It should be a fairly easy project since it's a small room and the walls we're well patched by Tom and Dave when they did the bathroom several years ago and removed all the wallpaper.

The ceiling & the walls need paint, the vent fan cover will get a coating of enamel and I'll replace the light fixture with something a little less 1970's.

After that, I have no idea what she has planned. I just know that when I told her I needed something to do, she took that as a challenge.

This "retirement" thing is a lot of work...

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The Red Sox were without Betts, Ramirez and Bogaerts in their line-up today and it showed.

The knuckle-baller, Steven Wright, pitched seven pretty good innings and Sandoval hit a 3-run home run to give the Red Sox their only lead in the game. Things fell apart in the 8th inning when the relievers gave away the game and the Tiger won 6-5.

Oh well, it's early in the season and hopefully the bullpen can get their act together soon.

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You can click on these if you are so inclined:

• Only in Florida.



• Presenting the winner of the Mug Shot of the Year award.



• You just know his unit gave him a new nickname after this video surfaced.



• Must be a male horse.



• Mucus-Shooting-Worm-Snail would be a fantastic name for a 1950's horror movie.



• Hey, they gotta pay that tuition somehow.

More sanding.

I spent my morning sanding and smoothing the walls. I did find a couple of spots that needed some touch up but all-in-all, the corner came out just fine.

Now if I can only get all the damned plaster dust out of my nose and sinus...

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I probably shouldn't have stayed up to watch the entire game last night because it lasted 12 innings and didn't end until after 11:30. That is way past my bedtime.

I also spent some time with John consuming adult beverages. That means I have a slight hangover and I'm tired but what the hell, I had a good time and I watched Sandy Leon hit a walk-off home run to win the game in the 12th.

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I took this picture the other day and I meant to post it but I forgot. According to my wife, I do that a lot. The forgetting part, not the taking pictures part.

They come up every year and I'm not sure what they are so I just call them the purple flowers with the orange middles. For all I know they are extremely poisonous and my face is going to fall of just for looking at them.

I like them.

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Here are a few links:

• Whatta you lookin' at hockey puck.



• Only in Florida.



• Oh Canada.



• As much as I usually dislike lawsuits, these folks may actually have a point.



• Not only should all politicians be allowed to do this, they should be required.



• Here's your Naked Guy In The News story.

I may have mentioned that I am not a plasterer.

Today I attempted to smooth the inside corner work I did a few day ago. I sanded the plaster I had previously spread, washed the wall and then I tried to put on a thin skin coat of plaster.

Apparently I have no idea what the word "thin" means.

So tomorrow I will be sanding again and hopefully I won't need to skin coat whatever is left behind.

Why do I have the feeling that my inside corner is going to end up as an inside curve...

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You can click on these if you want:

• Here's your Naked Woman in the News story.



• Yes, alcohol was involved.



• North Korea spends a lot of time shooting missiles into the ocean. What do they have against the ocean? What did the ocean ever do to them?



• Australia: What doesn't kill you, kills you.

No more paste

I have completely removed all of the paste and sizing from the walls.

Tomorrow I will start the process of patching any spots & defects in the walls and prepping them to be, as my friend Scotty D would say, smoother than a nuns belly.

Scott is not known for his reverence...

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The Red Sox are off today which is weird since the season just started yesterday.

That's like starting a new job on a Friday. By the time Monday rolls around, you'll have forgotten everything your new boss told you.

So anyways, the Red Sox won yesterday and they now have a perfect record. The Pirates tried to make a comeback but the game ended with the score 5-3 Red Sox.

I was pleased to see that Sandoval played well and ran hard on the base paths. That's a drastic improvement over he play from two years ago.

Porcello pitched a decent 6 innings so he seems to have picked up right where he left off.

On Wednesday, we'll get to see Sale make his first start as a member of the Red Sox and hopes are high that this kid is still as good as he was last season.

It seems like every pitcher that shows up in Boston with a reputation as being great falls apart and fails. Witness David Price. His performance last season was less than spectacular. As a matter of fact, I'd say he sucked.

Hopefully Sale is level-headed enough to remember that baseball is just a game and the more relaxed you are when playing it, the easier it is to play.

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Here are today's links:

• I want one.



• Only in Florida.



• Also only in Florida.



• Guess where this happened? That's right! Florida!



• Only in Pennsylvania.

Opening Day is upon us!

The Red Sox play the Pirates at 2:00 today so I'm posting early.

I don't want to interrupt my game-viewing with any interwebs activity. I need to remain laser-focused on the game so I can provide them with my sage advice via my special coaching TV.

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While I struggle to remove the last of the wallpaper paste & sizing from my walls and then scream at John Farrell for leaving Porcello in the game for one too many innings, you can click on these links:

• Australia: What doesn't kill you makes you weirder.



• Key phrase in this story: "... condoms are supposed to be used as an alternative for smoking."



• The Grammer Vigilante would be a great name for a really bad 1970s chick flick.



• Key phrase in this story: "The teller walked away..."



• Only in Florida.

No wall stripping today

I got more done on the walls yesterday than I planned so I took today off from the steamer.

I attended a class this morning at 7B2 on the upcoming changes the FAA is making to the medical certificate process. IT's going to be interesting and according to the doctor that taught the class, it should be better for us private pilots.

Currently, a private pilot over the age of forty has to get a medical certificate from a aviation medical examiner every two years. The examiner certifies that the pilot is physically and mentally able to fly a plane. They check eyesight, blood pressure and heart rate. They also ask a whole bunch of questions about medications, sleep habits, stress levels, drug use, etc...

When all is said and done, they make a determination about your mental & physical health and either issue you a certificate or deny you.

The upcoming changes are more of an honor system.

Under the new system, I need to see my personal physician every four years and have him fill out a form that says I am healthy. If I have any problems, I just have to get treatment for it. For instance, if my blood pressure suddenly begins to exceed the allowable limits, I just have to get treatment for high blood pressure and I'm all set.

Also, I have to take an online course provided by the FAA on health safety every two years. During the course, I will have to give the FAA access to my driving record as well as attest to my health and understanding of the regulations. If I lie to them and they find out, I will immediately lose my pilots license and probably be fined $250,000.

The problem with the new system is that the deadline for all of this is July 15. If the FAA doesn't have all of the forms and courses ready to go on July 15th, it becomes a free-for-all as far as medical certification goes.

Personally, I'll probably stick with seeing my AME every two years. I may think I'm healthy but they validate it and I feel better knowing I won't pass out or have a heart attack in the air.

That would be bad.

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Today was opening day for the MLB and I watched the Yankees get their butt whooped by the Rays.

Tomorrow the Red Sox open their season at 2:00 pm against the Pirates and I will be watching that game. That means I better start working on my last wall early in the morning so I can finish it up before 2:00.

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You might enjoy these links:

• Life imitates art: I'm betting Harry Chapin is smiling.



• Wait. There is an International Pillow Fight Day?



• In my opinion, every one of them is an asshole.



• Key phrase in this story: "We're going to get the dining experience that we pay for."

Three walls done.

Climb up the ladder, climb down the ladder, squat down, stand up. Man, I should have bought the giant container of ibuprofen when I was at Costco the other day...

I don't think my back, my legs or my arms are ever going to be the same after I finish this project.

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I watched the Red Sox play the Nationals at the Naval Academy. It was the first time that a professional baseball game was ever played at the Academy and I gotta tell you, those kids appreciated it. The stadium was packed with enthusiastic fans in full naval uniform.

It was a fun game to watch.

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Here are some links you can click on:

• Why is this woman still in the news? Her insanity is getting more coverage than Syria.



• I'll bet the chicken doesn't think she's doing well...



• I know a guy who left his home in Indonesia to go to college in Springfield, MA. He ended up in Springfield, IL instead.



• Only in Florida.



• Presenting this episodes Brilliant Criminals of the Day.