Are we ready to put carpet down again?

| February 27, 2013

The carpet for the basement was delivered today … are we going to stay dry? The whole wet basement thing has me a little nervous about putting it all back together before spring weather.

Home repair and wedding projects continue this weekend

| February 23, 2013

Although I’m not really accomplishing much this Saturday morning, I am working on a few projects. Little things like setting the type and printing the dinner menus (PDF) for Katelyn and Drew’s wedding and creating the type mask for a sign project are going ok, but without the basement workshop being back together, it is […]

Snow sculpture: a final Posterous post

| February 19, 2013

A few more photos are on my WordPress.com AliasMyDesultoryBlog Posted via email from closed blogging site Posterous

They don’t make them like they used to: Electric clothes dryers

| February 18, 2013

When we were first married, we had an old hand-me-down clothes dryer from my in-laws … along with an electric “Maytag ringer washer” that came with our first house. The dryer was about 20 years old when we first started using it and lasted another 15 years or so and could be easily self-repaired. When […]

Come on in, the water is fine! Can you say “feeding frenzy?”

| February 11, 2013

It’s nice sun filled and warm day in Cincinnati today … although I don’t think it is pool time just yet. Would you like to go swimming with these “fishies?” (Click for larger) Photo credit: Photographer unknown

My depressing and nonstop day going through wet boxes

| February 9, 2013

If you have ever experience a flooded basement, you know what I’m doing today … well this entire weekend and well into next week! It has been a busy, nonstop day hauling up soggy boxes and one of the few days that I’m sure Brenda is glad to be working! I’m kicking myself for the […]

A failed BlueMax water pipe and a basement full of water

| February 7, 2013

Well I probably shouldn’t say "a basement FULL of water," but when coming home from a week vacation and finding water covering the floor makes it feel like the basement was FULL of water! We stumbled in last night after a day of travel pretty much ready for bed, only to find "water, water, everywhere" […]

As Harold says, “You’re being watched” … and indeed I am!

| January 29, 2013

While packing my travel bag in the closet this morning, I had the feeling I was being watched … and no, not quite like CBS’s "Person of Interest," one of our favorite TV shows btw, but … Lo and behold, a couple of Brenda’s little "beady" eyed "beany" somethings were looking up at me from […]

Wash me, well maybe not?

| January 26, 2013

This artist sure “one ups” the often seen “wash me” scribble on a dirty car, and on a Volkswagen Golf TDI no less — impressive! Posted via email from RichC’s posterous

Changes in My Desultory Blog analytics from 2011 to 2012

| January 13, 2013

Hmm, did the content I post to the blog get less interesting or are Internet users getting their fill of personal blogs? Maybe there is just too much content available? After years of increasing blog readership, at least in pageviews, 2012 was the first year My Desultory Blog saw a decline in the numbers across […]

Seminar, workshop and networking for Taylor

| January 7, 2013

My travel schedule this week was modified slightly to include a couple more cold calls in the Cleveland area that I’ve been putting off until the new year … not really my choice … but it works out so that my son Taylor will be able to go to a seminar and workshop while he […]

NFL playoff picture slimmed to 8 teams

| January 6, 2013

http://www.nfl.com/playoffs/playoff-picture Posted via email from RichC’s posterous

LSSU 2013 List of Banished Words

| December 31, 2012

Here is the annual Lake Superior State University 2013 List of Banished Words: KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD DOUBLE DOWN JOB CREATORS/CREATION PASSION/PASSIONATE YOLO – You Only Live Once SPOILER ALERT BUCKET LIST TRENDING SUPERFOOD BONELESS WINGS GURU http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php

Looks to me like there isn’t much of a deal?

| December 11, 2012

Got to love the “balanced” approach to the fiscal cliff of Sen. Harry Reid. [sarcasm] Does he really represent his constituents and does he know we “all lose” if congress and President Obama can’t manage spending? Posted via email from RichC’s posterous

Tiny internal combustion engines

| December 6, 2012

I remember Cox model plane and car engine when I was a boy, but this “Tiny” 4-stroke “popper” is as impressive as a Swiss watch.

Clickity-click … the sound of flip-flopping sandals

| December 4, 2012

I know the clickity-click (or is it clickity-clack?) is to be expected when wearing flip flops, but some pairs are noisier than others. A few months ago I purchased a new pair of Keen Waimea H2 sandals that I intend to keep on the boat because they have toe protection, but I can’t figure out […]

Planted and marked a few flower bulbs using the Notability app

| December 2, 2012

I finally finished planting all the new bulbs Brenda purchase a few weeks ago as the weather on Saturday was in the high 50s and dry. I also decided to mark the locations using a few photos then marking it up on my iPad using Notablity … an excellent PDF app, by the way. Marking […]

Caught myself thinking like my father did back in the 1970s

| November 21, 2012

  While surfing for family news and goings-on for Thanksgiving, I saw a photo on my son’s Facebook page with a couple of his high school friends. I recall that they recently visited with him at Miami University and remembered Taylor told me that they were still pursuing their music dream. Of course after seeing […]

Photos: Our illusive Red-tailed Hawk and modified car parts

| November 21, 2012

There was a large truck and trailer sitting in front of our house at the crack of dawn this morning and curiosity got the best of me so I went outside to investigate. Brenda mentioned that I might want to get the license plate number considering this is the Thanksgiving holiday week and neighbors might […]

The Ram Mount for the iPad has a weak point

| November 20, 2012

My Ram Mount iPad car mount has a weak point and I am wondering if I’m alone or if this is a design problem? From what I can tell, the weak point is where the latch makes a 90-degree turn (see photo). Initially it was very tight to snap the roller-latch mechanism to hold the […]

The results of the 2012 could mean even bigger changes

| November 11, 2012

Maybe I shouldn’t have purchased six 50 star flags IF we’re going to be adding Puerto Rico as our 51st state? (still a little work to do in Washington DC though) A referendum on the political status of Puerto Rico was held in Puerto Rico on November 6, 2012. Puerto Rico has been an unincorporated territory of the United States since the Spanish-American War in […]

Presbyopia: my eyes are getting old. Well, the rest of me too!

| November 10, 2012

I had an eye appointment this week and decided to mention that reading, particularly in the evening, was becoming more of a challenge. I’ve been trying to fool myself into thinking that it was the lousy CFLs next to my chair or the added eyestrain of using computers, tablets and cellphones during the day, but […]

Christmas catalogs a-plenty, it must be Halloween?

| October 31, 2012

The campaign mailings haven’t stopped coming, yet we’re already seeing holiday catalogs filling the mailbox each day. No less than five were in the mail yesterday … and don’t even know how many political flyers? They just head for the trash or get put in my newspaper recycling pile. If I were not in the […]

Sticky paint and trying to take advantage of our Indian summer

| October 27, 2012

  This past week offered up the last of Indian summer unless something in the forecast changes and Brenda and I have appreciated the warmer weather, beautiful sunsets (driving by VOA park above) and evenings to work on projects. Besides finishing the downspout and sump pump drain lines, I’ve also replaced and grouted the broken […]

How many acres do you own?

| October 26, 2012

Read an artcle about Brad Kelley in the WSJ about owning a million acres … which started me wondering just how many acres some individual acquire — a lot. #4 Brad Kelley. Owns: 1.7 million acres in Texas, New Mexico and Florida. This Nashville, Tenn., farmer’s son sold his Commonwealth Brands cigarette company for $1 […]

Weekend round up and a Bengal loss to the Steelers … again

| October 22, 2012

I planned visiting my mom and home projects (and football watching) perfectly around the weather this past weekend. Saturday was a bit gloomy with a few sprinkles for my nursing home visit with my mom. She is doing pretty well considering she is being turned every couple hours and bedridden. Her mind is sharp and […]

Did you pay too much for your Kindle ebook?

| October 13, 2012

If you buy books from Amazon for your eReader, you might be in for a small refund … well small for the individual book buyer, but pretty larger if you’re Amazon and have to start the refund process. Book publishers and the Department of Justice reached a settlement regarding that whole eBook-price fixing scheme last […]

Houseboats are one thing, house islands another!

| October 8, 2012

I think I may have spotted my next boat country. If you have a few bucks to spare, let’s have one built as their might be a spare room or two.

A missed high school reunion and scanning old negatives

| October 7, 2012

Vintage Converse All-Stars from 1977 – note the untied shoelace before it became the style! I was a “geek” before there were “geeks” … if being a  photographer for my hometown newspaper and for my high school yearbook counts? Friday nights were spent shooting games and then zipping to the darkroom to “soup” the film […]

Happy Birthday … our Tootsie is 15 years old

| October 5, 2012

A “how do they do that” question

| September 29, 2012

How do packers of lettuce tie up a head? I can never get the wrap open without tearing or cutting.

Video: Well done iPhone parody

| September 23, 2012

It’s a lazy Sunday I didn’t feel like writing a blog post. Instead I’m using the iPhone to transcribe my speech into ;type and will include a great parody video … if Posterous will post it. Posted via email from RichC’s posterous

Shark or dolphin? A brief moment of panic …

| September 20, 2012

For surfers, there’s nothing worse than spotting a large gray figure swimming underneath you. In that brief moment where the brain tries to process the information, the body can go into shock, which is downright debilitating. Rookie pro Kolohe Andino had a tough second-round match at the Hurley Pro, and then he had the real […]

HP Palm Pre 2 Be Resurrected as HP Android Bender?

| September 18, 2012

Rumors arrive as soon as I succumb to Apple iOS and the new iPhone 5. Hmm … After HP ditched webOS, the Palm Pre and the HP TouchPad, it stopped producing smartphones at a great loss. Recent rumors suggest that HP will get back in the smartphone fold with an Android device. It has been […]

Needed maintenance has me really wanting improvements

| September 18, 2012

An article on “do-it-yourself” home improvement ideas for empty-nesters caught my eye since we’re at a place where updates and repairs are on my mind. I currently need to work on the pool tiles before closing, painting is an ongoing update and I know our AC and furnace are showing signs of age … unfortunately […]

Your mother wears army boots!

| September 15, 2012

A friend of mine commented on an interesting Facebook photo the other day and said it was most likely taken in Israel (or perhaps Switzerland?). Seeing women with assault rifles slung over their shoulders did raise my eyebrows, but it also triggered memories of an old expression loosely thrown around when I was a kid. […]

Ah yes, who doesn’t need flip flops for winter

| September 12, 2012

Who doesn’t need a little toe covering as the snow begins to fly? Ok, so I’m kidding about getting a new pair of Keen Waimea H2 flip flops for the winter … but I did buy them now because they were finally on clearance. I had been planning on buying a new “leave them on […]

Late winter storm hits New Zealand with hurricane force wind

| September 8, 2012

I’d love to visit and sail in New Zealand someday and I occasionally exchange emails back and forth with a couple friends living in that southern hemisphere country. One friend sent me a link on Friday after a strong storm hit Wellington with 140kmh (87mph) winds. They saw some damage throughout the city and it […]

Archiving a few late summer photo over the last few days

| September 5, 2012

I’m on the road today day and adding this as a filler post for Wednesday … but I wanted to archive a few recent photos (maybe the last few with my Palm Pre?). First, the drought across the country has had a serious impact on corn as well as other crops. Here in Ohio the […]

Missed a few Labor Day weekend events, but was with family

| September 3, 2012

Photo: Terry Ekstedt I missed the usual busy weekend with the TDIClub’s TDIFest and my EAA friends at our annual fly-in and pancake breakfast, but I was able to be at my mom’s bedside with several from my family. Mom had a rare smile and wasn’t in pain. Her voice was weak, but her mind […]

The Oldest Message in a Bottle Ever Found

| September 2, 2012

Sharing a story while trying out Google’s Current reader on the iPad to see how it re-posts to my blog … but it is an interesting story. Andrew Leaper, a Scottish skipper, has discovered the world’s oldest message in a bottle. He found the bottle while on the same fishing vessel where another mate had […]

Feeling nostalgic for the second time in a day

| August 27, 2012

I felt a bit behind the times today searching for some old files in OS9 … then realized just how far ahead of the times the Apple Macintosh computers were as I edited an image on Photoshop 5.5; it still ran flawlessly and with surprising speed. The first nostalgic moment mentioned above had to do with reconnecting […]

Boat shoe inserts/insoles-something doesn’t smell right

| August 21, 2012

Lame subject line … I know, but one of the issues for those of us who regularly wear boat shoes is that the insides wear out (or just smell bad) before the leather shoe gives out. Thankfully the older I get, the longer my shoes last … probably because my pedes don’t sweat as they […]

Nice day to drive home

| August 17, 2012

Biggest One-Day Drop in Nat Gas Since 2009 – CNBC Blog

| August 3, 2012

After a relatively positive summer for natural gas bulls, the sudden move down in the last couple days has been painful for those being long. Most still see the switch to NG from coal to be positive in the long run and still a place to make money. I would expecting more pressure in the […]

The “firebugs” were active at our house last night!

| August 2, 2012

With low wind and all the debris building up on our bonfire pile, it was time to add to our carbon footprint. (ADDED: video below)

It is wonderful to be married, but there are small irritations

| August 2, 2012

Before I get any hate email, yes I know “we men” have our quirks too. I’ve been known to leave the seat up on the toilet on occasion, I’ve missed the laundry with dirty socks or sweaty shirts and know I’ve run through the house with my shoes on, but only when I’m in a […]

It’s amazing what can be manufactured with 3D printers

| August 1, 2012

If this guy can copy an AR-15 we may not be that far from “print on demand” manufacturing companies producing a variety of hard to get products? Could a gun be made at home? An engineer claims to have taken the first steps toward doing so using a 3D printer. Michael Guslick said last week […]

Florida Store Clerk’s Beating, Robbery Caught On Tape

| July 28, 2012

Remind me again why a trained law abiding citizens shouldn’t have the right to have a concealed carry weapon and defend themselves? SEFFNER, Florida — The beating was brutal; 71-year-old Hasimbhai Indawala was punched over and over again in the face and head, but that isn’t the way the robbery ended. It all started at […]

This is one lobster that could feed the entire family

| July 25, 2012

I’m getting hungry just looking at him … pass the butter please! New England Aquarium, Emily Bauernfeind/Associated Press – This photo released by the New England Aquarium, in Boston Tuesday, July 24, 2012, shows a 21-pound lobster caught July 14 off Cape Cod, and donated to the aquarium where it will be displayed after a […]

Brush your teeth by chewing on Rolly

| July 17, 2012

Hmm … I kind of like this new Rolly product. I wonder if it will take off? Designed for those times when you’ve just had a meal but can’t sneak away to brush your teeth, the Rolly is a small rubber disc covered in 276 spiky bristles that promises to be as effective at cleaning […]

Google pulled firearms from their shopping search

| July 12, 2012

Google, an avid supporter of the 1st amendment, has decided they are NOT so supportive of the 2nd amendment … as I figured out after a few days of recent search failures for what Google classifies as “non-family safe” products — in this case, firearms. After using a particular firearm a few months ago, I’ve […]

Great White Shark photos are always blog-worthy

| July 9, 2012

Shark photos trigger the most reposts on my blog and also the most hits … so with the heat of summer and the recent U.S. based “heat of the summer” beach sitings, it is only appropriate to include a great photo. Erupting out of the sea with its jaws open the monstrous creature can be […]

House and yard chores, as well as painting wicker furniture

| July 7, 2012

Oh it has been hot … way too hot to work out in the yard … but with the mid-week July 4th holiday and quirky work schedule, it seemed like a good time to spend some hours on home and yard chores. Taylor and his buddy Michael have been contracted (they need the money) to […]

Map and Online atlas reading. Contemplating border towns

| July 6, 2012

After reading a little more about finding the dead pilots and Turkish military jet in the Mediterranean Sea that was shot down in Syrian airspace, I was curious where this occurred and started searching on Google Maps, etc. Eventually I ran across a few border towns along the Syrian and Israel line and eventually noticed […]

Roughing it in the great outdoors

| July 5, 2012

This kind of luxury “tent” camping that would even be the envy of the late Muammar Gaddafi (known to travel with his tent). SmartMoney magazine published a short article detailing how camping would even be attractive to one’s better half. Getting Fancy Now: Camping Resort Prefer to Leave the tent-pitching to the pros? At a […]

Happy “HOT” Fourth of July

| July 4, 2012

Yes we are in for another cooker today and tomorrow … Tomorrow 97 °F Chance of T-storms 30% chance of precipitation Thursday 104 °F Chance of T-storms 20% chance of precipitation Posted via email from RichC’s posterous

Recycling a better way to wack the weeds

| June 30, 2012

I’ve decided I must be old since I can remember the days before the gas powered weedwacker and using a scythe to keep the weeds at bay … although I think my dad was the only one permitted to wield the scythe. Who Needs a WeedWacker When You Can Use a Scythe?

Congress has the power to tax, be it for revenue or behavior

| June 28, 2012

It was a big news day on Thursday and by now all who were interested in hearing the Supreme Court’s conclusion are no doubt tuning-out the overwhelming amount of news and opinion … that is unless you are celebrating this as a victory. I personally was surprised by the court’s ruling and am now wondering where […]

Are we closer to electric current inducing solar windows?

| June 23, 2012

Yes, according to a news release from Colombia, Maryland’s New Energy Technologies, Inc. Unfortunately I still think we are faced with the “it is a drop in the bucket” producer of electricity in comparison to what we Americans use … not to mention the cost of windows. Still, it is interesting to explore the advancements […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog