Birding outing for Katelyn with the family for her birthday
Posted By RichC on May 17, 2022
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Music Monday: Slipping in an automotive-triggered 1990s country music song with “Backroads” by Ricky Van Shelton
Posted By RichC on May 16, 2022
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Refinishing home office desk project and cutting the lawn
Posted By RichC on May 15, 2022
My weekend chores and projects are in full swing as I cut the lawn longer than usual since it grew fast and thick while we were on vacation. Hopefully after a few cuttings, the thatch will disappear (I’m not fond of raking and hauling to the compose pile).
Early Saturday morning I put the final oil finish on my old antique desk after sanding the top and re-staining the walnut last month. I was purposely gentle with the sanding … just enough to get the old finish and most of the lighter dents and smaller scratches to a minimum. The top is veneer so too much scraping or sanding would be risky … besides, the dings will just be “antique character marks.” All in all it is much improved — after finish (below photo) and after waxing (photo above); this revived desk should last me the rest of my life. It would be interesting to know just how old this desk/table is since it was already and antique when we bought it 35 years ago!
Wishing the mom to my granddaughters a Happy Birthday :-)
Posted By RichC on May 14, 2022
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Stocks, bonds, crypto all down. What to do, what to do?
Posted By RichC on May 13, 2022
FoxBusiness/WSJ graphic
For the good or bad, whenever I’m away from my daily routine, it seems like the financial markets lose stability and investors go into crisis mode?
The past couple of weeks, those invested in stocks, bonds and crypto 
know that it has been painful; there have been very few refuges from the sharp selloff. I suspect most people planning for their future or saving for big purchases (homes, cars, college) are investing in one way or another … so their accounts will likely show loses. I’d like to say that it was a surprise, but those who have watched both the run-up after the pandemic lows … and ideological lunacy and the incompetent leadership coming from the 
Biden administration on nearly every issue … then you should have expected this drop. Add to this, the free-for-all spending in Congress and the slow-as-molasses behind the curve reaction from the Federal Reserve to deal with inflation … then you know we were overdue. 
The only question now is that can we “softly” 
find a market bottom and control inflation … or will we suffer through a 2022 or 2023 recession Inflation is definitely not “transitory” and is impacting everyone … especially those who can least afford higher prices in food, energy and housing.
U.S. stocks closed lower Thursday following sharp swings between gains and losses earlier in the session. The sell-off builds on a recent losing streak spurred by continued inflationary pressures and renewed worries the Federal Reserve’s price-mitigating efforts via monetary tightening may be more aggressive than anticipated and potentially stunt economic growth. MORE
Some have asked if the markets have hit a bottom? They wonder if it is safe to begin buying stocks and crypto … now that the prices have dropped significantly from their recent highs? They will get my standard Chinese Proverb answer:
“He who picks bottom, gets smelly fingers.”
That said, I did buy a little Apple ($AAPL) after selling my previous holdings after a run up earlier this year. Gulp … hold on!
Cleaning stainless steel cookware, mostly Wirecutter advice
Posted By RichC on May 12, 2022
Who else hates cleaning up stainless steel cookware, especially stainless steel frying pans?
We opted to upgrade the mishmash pots and pans at the Delray Beach condo back in 2018 with a full set of IKEA stainless steel cookware. Unfortunately whenever it comes to using them, we opt for the cheap and ugly red “semi” non-stick pan because it is easier to clean. Maybe there is a better way to use them that doesn’t involve so much cleanup work?
Saving a NYTime’s Wirecutter article on the topic:
To clean most pans after cooking in them, you’ll likely need less than five minutes to wipe them out, scrub them down, and dry them off.
But removing tough stains can take longer. Whether you’re using elbow grease to scrub or boiling baking soda and water in your pans, it can take 15 to 30 minutes or more. In some cases, you may want to leave a baking soda slurry on stains overnight before washing it off the next day.
To clean a pan that you’ve just used, first scrape out excess oil with a spatula, or wipe it out with a paper towel. Then deglaze the pan by adding some hot water. Cleaning a hot pan is easier, and adding hot water won’t damage it. But always let your pan cool down before fully submerging it in cool water. Otherwise the sudden change in temperature (called thermal shock) can cause a still-hot pan to warp.
You can loosen any fond (the browned bits of food) with a long-handled dish brush—we like the OXO Good Grips Dish Brush, which we’ve used in our test kitchen for years.
Grab a green Scotch-Brite scouring pad or sponge, along with some dish soap, and scrub the inside and outside of the pan, using a continuous circular motion. A Scotch-Brite pad will lightly scratch the surface of the pan. But as long as you avoid harsh pads (such as steel wool), it won’t affect your cookware’s performance or lifespan. A softer sponge, like a Dobie pad, won’t leave scratches, but using one requires more elbow grease. And it won’t save your cookware from getting marked up by metal cooking utensils anyway.
Rinse and then dry with a clean, absorbent towel.
An ideal use for my MicroJig dovetail clamps #woodworking
Posted By RichC on May 11, 2022
Since I use these dovetail MicroJig clamps for woodworking in my workshop, it seemed only logical to archive a photo so I can build a "jointer jig" or perhaps more appropriately just a jig to use with the table saw for small tapers … or especially for cuts when the piece of wood isn’t flat or doesn’t have a true edge that will ride on the fence.
Next time I have the router and dovetail bit out, I think I’ll "grid-up" a piece of plywood and emulate this jig.
Enjoyed a Mother’s Day beach week of R & R in Florida
Posted By RichC on May 10, 2022
Depressing as it may be, our vacation in Delray Beach is over, but it was a perfect and needed rest and relaxation trip.
Our old 2002 Honda Odyssey is still surviving … although I did pondering a new Florida vehicle after having to jumpstart and fidget with the flakey AC. Yet it still didn’t convince me to sell our functional and comfortable van (so long as it isn’t too hot outside – AC issue).
Mother’s Day for Katelyn in Toledo and Brenda’s flowers from Katelyn, Drew, Taylor and Megan
On a walk our last day at the beach, we also spotted a small sand shark leisurely looking for something to eat along the shoreline. They do have a tendency to surprise you when swimming or even wading along the surf (Sand Tiger Shark).
Music Monday: Zac Brown – “Let It Go” from YGWYG album
Posted By RichC on May 9, 2022
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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.