Our family Christmas 2020 and a few too many wrap-up photos
RichC | December 29, 2020
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Merry Christmas to all who check in on My Desultory Blog
RichC | December 25, 2020
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Old handsaws, rusting jack posts and a deck of cards #TBT
RichC | December 24, 2020
Since I expect to be busy with our family on Christmas Eve Day, I’ll prepare a post for Throwback Thursday #TBT with a few old handsaws from my families past and asked the rhetorical question to myself: “Why do you keep old handsaws that you never use?” Actually I don’t recall really needing to use […]
Our granddaughters are coming and new Great Room windows
RichC | December 23, 2020
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Eating out with a friend during COVID19 and an MMT discussion
RichC | December 22, 2020
With only a handful of meals out during this COVID19 year with my buddy Jeff this past year, I’ve learned to appreciate them even more than usual. We’ve been having lunch together each month or so as a way to stay connected for decades and for me adjusting to just emails and text messages is […]
Merry Christmas 2020 and wishing you a “Hopeful” New Year
RichC | December 15, 2020
It has been a challenging year to say the least with the Coronavirus still raging in the US and around the world. So many lives, businesses and plans have been forever changed. Brenda and I just feel blessed to be surviving the pandemic and able to function in a day to day matter. We hear […]
Santa Mouse slippers, Christmas stories and Echo messages
RichC | December 12, 2020
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Repairing the aging Caldera Hot Tub … AGAIN #TBT
RichC | December 10, 2020
Well, it happened again. The stainless steel heater element pipe in our Caldera Hot Tub has failed again (last time was 2013). There must be some electrolysis accelerating the corrosion unless the stainless steel tubing is just that poor of quality? On the other hand, like the repair guy commented, your hot tub is far […]
Remembering Pearl Harbor and a few personal family thoughts
RichC | December 7, 2020
Recognition and remembrance for those of the Greatest Generation who were killed on December 7, 1941 are compelling reasons why Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day rings loud with me … but my remembering is also partially due out of respect for my parents. For them (and my late mother and father-in-law), the attack by Japan and […]
Archiving pre-sale Zillow photos of Mom and DadC’s house #TBT
RichC | December 3, 2020
As a ‘still listed’ page owner according to my Zillow update emails of my parents house listing in Sidney, Ohio, I realized that it will not be long before those pages and photos disappear. I likely still have the original photos on a compact flash drive card (who can still read those), but probably won’t […]
First Snow December 1st 2020 … and another backyard accident
RichC | December 2, 2020
December 2020 rolled in with a light white blanket of snow and colder weather to let us know that winter is probably here for a while. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to the temperature change, but I really don’t mind the hushed beauty of a “new-fallen snow” … as Clement Clarke Moore wrote […]
Our family is getting into the 2020 Christmas decorating spirit
RichC | December 1, 2020
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Memories of Grandmothers and Aprons plus photos #TBT
RichC | November 26, 2020
Since I’m pre-writing this by a few days for Throwback Thursday #TBT, I realized just before post it that it will also be Thanksgiving on Thursday. Our family won’t be getting together as usual (same for a lot of families for a COVID19 resurgence), but ours was planned that way since we rotate holidays; Katelyn, […]
Ellerie’s Christmas project and decorating before Thanksgiving
RichC | November 25, 2020
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Kitchen stool screw-on felt slides – a must have and long overdue
RichC | November 17, 2020
This should have been one of the first things I did when assembling our six metal stools back when we remodeled our kitchen in 2017. I bought slides for the condo stools after remodeling since there were only two and on tile, but cheaped out with stick felts at home. They were never worth the […]
What to do with a piece of cheap tarp and a Sailrite Ultrafeed?
RichC | November 15, 2020
On one of my sailing groups, a Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1 user complained that the speed controller pedal was hard to regulate. I’ve found that to be true as well. Another person made the comment that they used a piece of flexible tubing/hose that gives the pedal a little more tactile feel … so I tried […]
Apple Mac announcement event this past week along with some fun babysitting Annalyn and Ellerie in Perrysburg, Ohio
RichC | November 14, 2020
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Archive: 1958 Packard Hawk electrical issues, schematics and an Indian Summer bike ride for Annalyn and Ellerie
RichC | November 12, 2020
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The new Packard Hawk modified battery hold-downs are great
RichC | November 11, 2020
Tweak by tweak I’m staring to enjoy working on my dad’s Packard Hawk. For the past five years I’ve been unmotivated or shy about calling the car that was my dad’s and before that his uncle’s, mine, … but as the list of non-working repairs and fixes grows, I’m seeing a path to making it […]
Family Filler: A couple of great leftover weekend photos
RichC | November 4, 2020
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Waiting for a Halloween updates from my granddaughters
RichC | November 1, 2020
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Ellerie was dedicated at Waterville Community Church
RichC | October 27, 2020
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Dilemma: What to do with my aging, shredded faux leather, tired foam, squeaking and generally falling apart office chair
RichC | October 25, 2020
The office chair I’ve used for the passed couple decades has seen better days, but it is still my favorite. The sturdy build is better than most I’ve seen, the arm pivots up out of the way for desk-work and easily sliding up to type, write, read or clean around. The size fits me well […]
Archive: A couple family photos from this past week
RichC | October 17, 2020
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Most parents and grandparents have room for improvement
RichC | October 11, 2020
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My son Taylor has been busy professionally and personally
RichC | October 10, 2020
As a dad who has always kept up and archived the “goings-on” with Taylor and Katelyn on MyDesultoryBlog, I realized that grandchildren steal the limelight most of the time … that is just the way it is. But … that doesn’t mean life doesn’t keep moving along for adult children in the work-a-day world either. […]
The Old Wooden Ladder: Shag carpet and “The Pig” #TBT
RichC | October 8, 2020
While doing some the pool house garage cleaning and reorganizing over the past couple of weeks, a piece of the old shag carpeting I duct taped onto the old wooden ladder I acquired in the 1980s fell off. As usual, it triggered memories. First, the good times Brenda and I had with our sailboat Brenich, […]
An inexpensive Sailrite LSZ-1 sewing machine cart is finished
RichC | October 7, 2020
The Sailrite LSZ-1 sewing machine cart is complete and turned out great. Everything worked as planned (a rarity for me) and didn’t have to purchase anything new. The wider oak material was sitting in my stock shelf, the edge banding for the fold out table stripped from the glass top of my recently disassembled printing […]
Archive: Some books to bookshelves and granddaughter photos
RichC | October 6, 2020
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Cleaning, reorganizing, some sanding and new ZipGuard finsih
RichC | October 4, 2020
In my goal to gain space in the poolhouse garage (a failure) and clearing out and cleaning the east-side wall, I shifted my attention to the beat-up bench top. Part of this was just clearing the workbench of junk, then reorganizing and cleaning each shelf. The boxes have been sort-of shuffled (drawers ignored), but I […]
After cleaning, tossing junk and the re-organizing a couple walls, the pool house garage is still way too cluttered
RichC | October 3, 2020
As much as I love working in an organized space, for the life of me I have trouble keeping it that way. Also, I can’t get rid of things I use, might use or that are too good to sell or toss. The truth is that I have the packrat gene. My parents were not […]
Sold my Twitter $TWTR stock as the election nears
RichC | October 2, 2020
With Twitter $TWTR stock rising this week and the election around the corner, I debated buying a PUT option, but instead decided I would feel more comfortable in a cash position than wondering what direction the stock will move next time. Years ago I unfortunately picked Twitter as my social network investment and for the […]
Remembering my mom’s birthday with an Oldsmobile photo
RichC | September 29, 2020
My mother’s birthday isn’t one that I mark with a blog post every year, but since I ran across this old photo of my mom in East Tawas Michigan, I set it aside (along with one from me in my new suede coat back in high school). I spotted the Kodachrome slide of Mom next […]
Great night sky viewing of the moon, Saturn and Jupiter
RichC | September 28, 2020
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Started the weekend with a Sailrite LSZ-1 sewing cart project
RichC | September 26, 2020
If you have ever used a heavy portable sewing machine, you know what a pain it is to haul it out of storage and set it up to make a simple repair. I don’t know how many times I’ve grumbled when Brenda wants me to set it on my workbench … or worse, haul it […]
A sign of Autumn and our 1987 Mercedes Benz 560SEL #TBT
RichC | September 24, 2020
We had our first taste of cooler fall weather for 2020 last week as the hot 80+ degree days of August and early September gave way to pleasant mid-to-high 70s and cooler evenings dipping into the 40s. Brr, my body has not adjusted yet. As autumn approaches and the temperatures are more tolerable in the […]
A couple granddaughter photos from Brenda’s babysitting
RichC | September 22, 2020
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Paintied the hinges and door hardware for the pool changing room
RichC | September 19, 2020
It has taken me most of the second half of the summer, but I’m finally finishing the poolhouse changing room … more work than I thought. The damage done by Katelyn’s “late” pet rabbit Pumpy Umpy was significant enough to require lower drywall (greenboard) and all new casing and baseboard trim. Part of my slowdown […]
Tech Friday: A new feature update for my Fitbit Versa
RichC | September 18, 2020
After a recent update from Fitbit, my Versa watch is now tracking my SpO2 level when I sleep. Unsure what to make of it, I asked my doctor-daughter Katelyn what it means: “looks good, no sleep apnea.” (Fitbit devices measure this while sleeping, since they are usually the lowest) After a little reading on SpO2 […]
Our granddaughter Ellerie has her first tooth … and big eyes!
RichC | September 17, 2020
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Photos of a few new hardwood trees from my brother’s nursery
RichC | September 15, 2020
It has been eleven years since we last purchased a few trees from my brother Ron’s retirement avocation – a nursery dedicated to NativeOhioPlants. He started planting trees years before so after he retired from the Air Force in 2018, it was a natural to make it a part time business. It’s not too big […]
Archive: Brenda’s flowers, busy working bees and babysitting
RichC | September 9, 2020
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Assembling a simple (cough, cough) swing set for grandkids
RichC | September 6, 2020
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My memories on an obsolete automotive oil spout gadget #TBT
RichC | September 3, 2020
I shared a question to a few of my automotive friends on a Twitter a few weeks ago … prior to my WordPress post disappeared due to a mysql crash (grrr!) … A question for #Millennials: What is this automotive “thing” and how does it work? So much of what we remember from our youth […]
Unrequested November 2020 Ohio absentee ballot request forms
RichC | September 1, 2020
Although we have "requested" Ohio absentee voting ballots before as a convenience or often for being away from the local polls, this is the first time ballots requests forms are just showing up in the mail. If it were any other "let’s try statewide vote by mail year or election," this might be worth sending […]
An updated shade sail photo and a granddaughter photo too
RichC | August 28, 2020
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A memory from 2010! What happened to my children? #TBT
RichC | August 27, 2020
Love this photo, although Katelyn and Taylor do look the same to me … well, add 10 years. I saw this photo from our Bermuda cruise in 2010 and thought, “I’m so glad we took as many trips as we did each year as a family!” The early years of traveling may have been on […]
A summer thunderstorm may be a Hurricane Laura precursor
RichC | August 27, 2020
As the Gulf of Mexico coast of Louisiana and Texas prepare for Hurricane Laura (as well as areas well inland), we got a taste of the kind of rain that might also be headed our way as this tropical weather works its way north. A strong thunderstorm swept through our area on Wednesday night this […]
My summer favorite Sperry Searacer boat shoes are wearing out
RichC | August 22, 2020
This is probably something I should have expected after bringing my “boat-only” non-skid Sperry SeaRacer Sneakers home from the boat in June – excessive wear. I’ve been wearing these light-weight synthetic upper Sperry shoes for the better part of the last two months and they are quickly breaking down. Perhaps I’m so accustom to the […]
Sent the Packardbaker out for some transmission work
RichC | August 21, 2020
My dad’s 1958 Packard Hawk, mine for the last 5 years, has hardly been touched since it was flatbed delivered from Sidney, Ohio. I moved it once … and then covered it up with a battery tender after I noticed a pool of transmission fluid all over the floor. So on the 5th anniversary of […]
Reminiscing and thinking about our Hudson Ohio house #TBT
RichC | August 20, 2020
Let me get this out before someone tells me I’ve lost my mind: I love our current house and property in SW Ohio … as well as the community we live in just north of Cincinnati. Brenda and I could not be more blessed with our lives, our family and all that we have worked […]
Spiders, Kadydids, iPhone7+ photos and cooling in the pool
RichC | August 19, 2020
Since I spent most of the weekend outside again doing chores and projects as the weather has been great … I spotted a couple of insects enjoying summer as well. The normal bugs don’t grab my attention, but the brightly colored and unusual ones are worthy of photos (still impressed with the camera on my […]
A weekend Brenda birthday photo and Jimmy Buffett video
RichC | August 18, 2020
We are really enjoying the time we have to stay around home this summer amidst Coronavirus concerns … although Brenda has never stopped going to work … she works in an “essential business” – pharmacy. We certainly enjoyed having Katelyn, Drew, Annalyn and Ellerie to our house for a mini-vacation for several days earlier this […]
The climate hardiness guides says “no” to Evergreen Clematis
RichC | August 16, 2020
After doing a little research on different kinds of Clematis, I thought I had the perfect pick for the rear corner of the pool house garage where I often work outside the back door. Something that stayed green a bit longer in the year like Evergreen Clematis sounded perfect … but the “Plant Hardiness Zone […]
Saving a custom Mercedes Benz W123 “LaPickup” photo
RichC | August 15, 2020
Since I’ve highlighted a couple other “functional” versions of the Mercedes Benz W123, here’s another owner conversion. (see ONE, TWO … and THREE just for the humor). I do find myself constantly needing (well “wanting” really) a pickup truck, but can usually put things in my Honda Odyssey “work vehicle” or hitch up the utility […]
Happy Birthday to my wonderful wife and a few leftover photos
RichC | August 12, 2020
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Archive: Stay around home 2020 mini-vacation family photos
RichC | August 11, 2020
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Someone’s Tesla is plugged into my 220VAC welding circuit?
RichC | August 9, 2020
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Constantly re-stitching my floating beanbag chair
RichC | August 8, 2020
Although I’m looking high and low for some material to replace the clearance foam bead filled pool floaties I bought a few years ago, I continue to re-stitch and reinforce the old product with “Brenda’s” Sailrite Ultrafeed LS-1. The new stitching holds as long as the old fabric holds up, but sooner or later I’m […]
Archive: Remembering good times with my friend Jeff #TBT
RichC | August 6, 2020
My friend Jeff has been part of my life since college and knows WAY too much about me … both good (which he conveniently forgets) and bad (which he’s remembers all too well). We’ve always have great times together, be it in Founders Hall dorm at ONU back in college or the many years after […]
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.