What Are You Doing?

Internal clock is slowing getting back to daytime routine.
I awoke at 10pm...so perhaps several more months and I'll be waking up just before dawn, as it's going in the opposite direction of what one would expect.
Since 2008, I awake around 3am, but instead of waking up at 4 then 5 etc, I've been waking at 2, then 1, then midnight, then recently 11pm, and now 10pm.

Was going to post about mowing and the wind, but I forgots to take a few pics.
I live an exciting life, the main hilight is mowing.

 

Yes, I want to read it.

 

Trying to piss away time

 

I just got done reading my lady the bedtime story of Pandora's Box by Nathanial Hawthorne.

 

I've always been a Hawthorne fan. Good choice.

 

Me, not so much. It was pretty good, and something I had
never read before.

 

Take it up to someone and say you`r looking for you`r seat on the grooms side.

You`r party sounds like every party i`ve ever loved. The simple things are the most beautiful.

Listening to music, and diddling online. Getting distracted, and lost. Losing my mind....losing track of it.....

Probably gonna try and do a junk draw post here before going to bed it`s late. Mabye i`ll just go to bed now and do that for tomorrow. Not sure. Had such a clear idea of things now it`s all gone foggy.

 

Laundry washed and dried. Folding will take forever because I hate doing it, so I'm having chocolate and then going to sleep while listening to murder shows.

 

Today is the day. Not nervous in the least, just...reflective. I stole some time with my soon-to-be wife last night, even though we're not supposed to see one another or something along those lines. Who the hell made that rule? .... We spoke for hours then she played her piano for me which gently put me to sleep. Was fun. Honeymoon ideas are still in the air since neither one of us can beat the other in any game we agree on. If only video games were allowed.... It'll be someplace quiet though.

But yup, time to don the outfit of a man going to get the title of husband to his name and wear the shackle of the end game.

Have a good day, folks.

 

Spoiler: Tuesdee's mowing adventure...

- Strong winds Teusdee, but mostly clear sky, so after a decent set of planks through the wee hours, I decided to mow.

- Scraped off accumulated grass from under the chassis, shoulda done that a few mows ago, there were stacks. Also the blade housing can get way out of balance from accumulation, thus reducing life of mower.

- Grinded blades sharp each mow. Even though Masport brand blades, steel is cheap crap, soft metal. A 2hr mow severely blunts them; unlike a higher tensile unknown brand I had on previous mower, would only have to sharpen every 6 or so mows.

- Joined forces with me grass trimmer at 10:30am, the grass was already dry due to wind.
- Did that for an hour, had a 1 min break, enjoying the cooler weather and marvelling at the sight on the hill across the road, with the wind causing ripples through the long grass like waves on an ocean.

- Mowed, with a few 1 minute breaks, for 2.5 hrs. Wind kept rising through the day.
- Kinda rare to have strong wind for nearly 48hrs straight. Storm clouds a brewing near the end of the mow.
- Now Fridee and the wind continues, though slowly settling down.

- Grass was long in 50% of the yard, but the cleaned underbelly was a huge factor in the decent time. Catcher filled up to max each time, compared to struggling in the last few mows. Will check underbelly more frequently.

- Wind was getting severe by the end of the mow, poor old secured hat was moving around a bit. Gotta run a hat even in cooler temps during sunny days, as UV rays get through the clean and low moisture atmosphere easier here, and you can get burnt without feeling hot.

- Finished mow, cleaned myself up, settled on bed to watch rest of Audi 2011 Lemans doco, heard a loud bang on the kitchen roof after a particularly strong gust of wind. I knew the heavy duty UV protected plastic I installed on the roof had finally come undone after 2-4 years?

 

The roof, the roof, the roof is on...

Spoiler: the tree...

Not the best time to consider I possibly had some lengthy roof repairs to do.
Just finished a long mow and I was sore all over.
Out the back door, this is only the 2nd time in 7 years the wind was strong enough to tear into the tree.
Largest branch about 3in diameter.

Spoiler: Kitchen roof...

Back to the front of the house to climb the ladder to reach the kitchen roof out back.
Was too tired to take pics on the day; pics from next morning.
The plastic temp roof is 2 x 1.8 wide strips, aligned top to bottom. The furtherest one was 70% unsecured and flapping in the wind.

Installed 2-4yrs ago? Industrial plastic used in concrete slab forming. Soaked in UV protecting chems. Plastic is still in decent nick, though now just starting to get a tad hard and easily tear from hard protrusions. I noticed half a dozen small cracks and tears.

As you can see, held in place by a stack of river rocks and steel pieces along the outer edge. The ends of the sheets curve into the cutter with steel placed on top, plus square besserblocks at the ends (over the house frame). Wind getting under the sheets is the main issue.
I also used industrial grade double sided tape in numerous places between roof and plastic. Possibly the most secure element of the sheeting, as evidenced by the old tape losing integrity of the sheet that got away.

I reasoned the most efficient way to cover old corregated roof because:
The section furtherest away, my bedroom, is fairly straight; What's under the plastic isn't.
One section having a 200mm curve, and when I hit the roof to clean the chimbly flue, I tread ever so carefully, as I imagine how decrepit the framework is underneath, including how often I hear the bush rats gnawing their way through the beams.

How long has this been in place and how cool is Tassie weather?
The square brick, top left, closest to camera, is semi-covered in lush green moss.

This is what I'd prefer to do with any roof issues...

Spoiler: toolshed roof...

I have no roofing experience, and whenever I tried to fix leaks, I made it worse, thus the most effective way for me is to simply cover over any problem areas with identical shaped corregated perspex.

This repair, twice the area, took less time than the plastic sheeting job.
I could repaint the sections with a waterproofing compound, but mein himmel, $$$.

I'd like to perspex the kitchen roof, but:
1. Severely bent, and I'd have to cut the perspex into sections to try to match the curve.
2. No guarantee the lengths will match the frame underneath in order to screw each piece down.
3. The toolshed roof is part of the extension added when The Contessa moved in, thus
new and solid frame to screw into.
I have no idea what's under the iron on the original sections, as I'm told the cottage is 60+ years old.
Thus temp plastic sheeting is the best way to go, and I think it wise to do a full replacement asap.
4. I've also considered a separate 2nd roof that sits on top of the original.
It'd have to be made of iron sheeting as I have to walk on it to get to the chimbly flue.
It'd be a hassle to get the iron sheets under the A frame section, and then how much wind force would be happening to the new roof, as there'd be a decent gap near the guttering. Securing it would be a hassle.

 

Trying to come up with credible and non-terroristic threats to the construction company that is going to take my dearest tree on account of some underground infrastructure. I purposefully planted the tree a safe distance from all infrastructure, taking careful measurements and making detailed projections of where the growth would be. I know where it is.

This is a feeble posturing by a group of good ole boys who want to earn extra money from their contractors, by hosing their Utility bosses for all sorts of unnecessary functions like cutting people's trees down. It's fine. I can't stop them. I just wish they'd add a little dignity to their job-scene like not parking their truck in front of my house for hours at a time like creeps handing out candy to children.

-SIN

 

Spray frog toxin on it and they'll get maybe a branch cut before they start chopping each other down.

 

Boring myself to tears. I need to find a cooler myself to hang out with.

 

Feeling like shit. This whole damn week and the previous one as well was crap, for no good reason. There is a reason or a variety of them to be honest, but not good enough to make feel so fucking miserable. I thought I was mature enough to be dead inside already damn it!

 

Not been here long, but I think you're pretty cool.

 

Oh, no!! *covers eyestalks* La-la-la-la!

 

Where shall you look?
Do you know if this version exists or are you merely projecting what you'd like to be?
If this version doesn't exist, we humans are known throughout the universe for being quite adept at creating.

 

Spoiler: The great steering wheel incident of 2008...

The steering wheel incident.​

Here's another story involving the bait diver. Back in 2008 while rehabilitating at my brother and sis in law's place, my brother and I were heading to town. My rehab was going well so I wanted to drive. Noting my brother seemed quite relaxed about this. Quite the contrast, considered how freaked out he was by the great tomato incident several weeks prior. He prefers riding motorbikes, and this car was a stock standard buzz box. If he was going to enjoy a drive, he prefers something highly modified, fast and corner hugging; loudness a minor option.

A coupe of minutes into the pleasant relaxed drive and conversation, he abruptly changed the subject and declared, "You're not holding the steering wheel right!"
"Say what?, I joyfully enquired. His frustration must have disturbed him to the point where he could no longer be silent. I continued, "What do you mean I'm not holding it right, I have my hands on the wheel, we haven't driven off the road or crashed into anything?"

He responded, "Nooo, you're not holding it right, you're meant to be seated closer so your arms are bent at the elbows thus, and you're meant to have your hands at this height and spread apart on the wheel thus."
I semi-rhetorically asked, "Have I driven off the road, have I run into the car in front of us, have I hit that tree over there?...nooo, then I must be holding the steering wheel enough to be termed 'correct'."
"NO", he asserted in more frustration, "That's not the correct way to hold a steering wheel!"

"Look, brother", theorizing he's deeply fixed in 'I'm right, you're wrong' mode, "Regardless of whether I employ my way of holding the wheel or your way, the result is still the same, yes, that I am driving efficiently and safely on the road. So to me, it's not about right and wrong steering wheel holding, but simply that each of us has our own personal preference. That in this particular situation we're having, there is no right and wrong way to hold this steering wheel, we each have our specific style we like to use, and both styles result in the same quality of driving."

"NOOO, oh you idiot", adding anger to his frustration, "My way is right and your way is wrong!"
I smiled and calmly replied, "But big brother, have I ran off the road, have I hit that car in front of me, have I hit any trees?...nooo, then my style of holding the steering wheel seems to be quite sufficient for driving."

He throws up his hands in exasperated abandonment of the conversation.

It seemed to me my brother was not suffering any adversity from my actual driving, but only from his failed attempts to get me to conform to his perception of reality, for there was nothing wrong with my driving that would cause harm to us or the vehicle. Therefore I theorized his suffering came from his inability to accept and lovingly allow me to live beyond the pages of his 'rules for living' handbook that's lodged firmly in his mindtank.

I liked to imagine he ended the conversation because it would have led to him examining himself and becoming more aware that the problem was not my driving style, but his narcisstic attitude towards others who do not live according to his rules and regulations.

I also imagined the conversation could have continued if I went into 'right-wrong' mode as well. There could have been a competition to see who's 'right' won the day. We could've spent hours offering up our data that proves our version of driving was correct, or at least, more correct. We could also engage in mocking the other's version. Devaluing one gives the appearance the other is better. There would be conflict. Both can't be right. One has to survive, the other has to be destroyed. Lives are at stake.

I Imagined all these possibilities, but due to my profound experiences in the psych ward a few months earlier, I saw no benefit for either of us within those types of interactions, so I calmly just allowed him to express whatever he needed to, and I felt no need or desire to respond to his comments any further.

True story.

 

Bout to leave for work. I realize these days that I'm a hermit. I'm not happy, necessarily. But I still take comfort and joy at the thought of others being happy. It's hard to be a total scrooge. It takes too much focus and force of will for me. So, in spite of all the huge reasons not to be, this time of the year, I hope ya'll are and can be happy.




-SIN

 

Recharging my batteries after all the festivities. Wedding went off without a hitch, but my voice is hoarse from all the blabbering needed. Wife is still in bed, sleeping, so I can only assume she's drained too. It's time for tea or coffee or cocaine ( that last bit is a joke ).

Honeymoon will most likely be to Norway, odd as that may sound to some. A place called Lofoten Island. Should be fun.

Okay, time to get us some breakfast. Have a good day, folks.

 

Just spent a half hour watching a video wherein a guy made a working engine from an air conditioning compressor. Fascinating.

 

I've been watching a lot of restoration and woodturning videos these days.

 

Fretting.

So I have all the things necessary to make video essays.

So I’m finally going to have to actually write an essay about Penelope.

Which sounds easy when I have all these angles with which to discuss it—an Odyssey of Independence; an Epic Fairy Tale; Mother’s & Daughters: Perpetuating Body Image Dysmorphia; Gendered Destiny; the Constraints of Womanhood: the Journey Home inverted; Transformation vs Restoration, etc.

I feel like the film is endlessly fascinating with topics worth discussing, but I feel like I can show what & how but not why.

I feel like my really only underlying point of the video essay is: isn’t this interesting? Why is no one interested? Why is no one discussing this movie? Why isn’t someone more qualified than me discussing this movie??

 

Personal odyssey? More personal and emotional? Not sure what class of audience these were intended for, but certainly more beneficial to the explorer than the experienced tour guide.