My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on May 16, 2024

I don’t recall how the subject came up, but Brenda and I were talking about our first and then second house in NE Ohio … the one I have some of my fondest memories in — the kids were about our grandchildren’s age. It was located on “Ground Hog Hill” in Hudson Township when we bought in 1986 (yes there were groundhogs) … before developing the neighborhood across Stow Road or even putting in Brafferton Ave along the side of our 5 acres (map 2011).
=> Oh … now I remember, we were talking about “ground hogs” when Drew sent us a security came video, but here’s a still! 

Anyway one thing lead to another and I pull up the property on Google Maps to see what changes have been made. I looks as if they’ve expanded a bit more around the pool and may have rebuilt the old pole barn? Nice — and again, good memories for ThrowBack Thursday #TBT.

And speaking of old memories, her are a couple of interior photos Brenda’s sister took of my mother-in-law’s 1983 Ford Mustang before we sold it in 2011 (didn’t include them in the old post … so I will below). 

Category: Archive, Automotive, Memories, Nature, Photos, TBT | No Comments »
Tags: convertible, ford, google, groundhog, house, howard, hudson, maps, momh, mustang, ohio, property, TBT

Posted By RichC on May 15, 2024

U.S. inflation eased slightly in April, with a key measure of price pressures slowing to its lowest level since spring 2021.

The consumer-price index, a gauge for goods and service costs across the U.S. economy, rose 3.4% in April from a year ago, the Labor Department said Wednesday. So-called core prices that exclude volatile food and energy items climbed 3.6% annually, the lowest increase since April 2021. Both figures were in line with economists’ expectations. 

Investors saw positive signs in the report that the Federal Reserve’s inflation fight is gradually slowing down the U.S. economy. The yields on 10-year Treasurys, which fall as prices rise, ticked lower. Stocks advanced, continuing their march higher in May.

READ

Category: Financial, News, Retirement | No Comments »
Tags: cpi, economy, inflation, investing, wsj

Posted By RichC on May 15, 2024

This archiving of leftover weekend photos is becoming a trend on My Desultory Blog and since it is a space for me to mark events and save photos, I suppose it will continue? 

Last weekend while celebrating Mother’s Day (along with my birthday) … I started pool opening process. I’m not sure how many more years I’m going to be able to horse the pool cover around by myself, but I’m thankful to be healthy and agile enough to still do it. 

The water is always putrid no mater how much pool closing chemicals are added … and believe it or not, it has looked worse. Let the sweeping and filtering begin! 

Besides uncovering the pool, I also notice a couple broken boards on the swing and slide play set. So I took the opportunity to use my new homemade Table Saw Jointer Jig to cut some of Katelyn and Drew’s wood (oak) to replace the broken cedar boards. Since I had some leftover boat finish from a long time ago, Deks Olje, I used it to seal the wood. I think I’m going to save putting it on the swing-set until my granddaughters are here to help?

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Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Repairs, Woodworking | No Comments »
Tags: cover, family, howard, justin, katie, mackenzie, oak, pool, repair, swingset

Posted By RichC on May 14, 2024

This content is restricted.

Category: Archive, Memories, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, birthday, drew, ellerie, family, ice cream, katelyn, whitehouse

Posted By RichC on May 13, 2024

On the NBC television music program “The Midnight Special” on December 13th 1974, Gordon Lightfoot performed a live version of his hit “Sundown.”

The late Gordon Lightfoot has been highlighted several times before and even included “Sundown” in a post 7 years ago for Music Monday … but I enjoyed this live video version as well. 
 

Category: Music, Video | No Comments »
Tags: gordon lightfoot, live, midnight special, mp4, music monday, musicmonday, sundown

Posted By RichC on May 12, 2024

While picking out a card for “the mother of my grown children” this year, I couldn’t help notice how inflation has impacted the price of greeting cards. Perhaps when I was in the business of putting ink on paper, the price per sheet as it were, I wasn’t really given too much thought to each copy (I was focused on the profit margin in the total project). But now as I notice that every greeting card is priced well over $5 in the display rack, it is an eyeopener (I sound a grumpy old man — GOM?)

Dollars and cents aside, this is not the day to be posting on the fiscal issues we’re dealing with, but the day to appreciate and show respect for the moms in our lives. I had two of the best in my mom and mother-in-law in my life (photos below) … and now have two of the best who have picked up the torch and demonstrate what it is to be a great mother too — Happy Mother’s Day, Brenda and Katelyn.

Thank you Brenda for being a great mother and grandmother … and Katelyn for being such a wonderful mom to your two daughters. I love you both very much. 

My mom in 2010 and Brenda and her mom in 2015 (MomC and MomH)

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Category: Archive, Holiday, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: brenda, family, katelyn, mom, momc, momh, mother's day

Posted By RichC on May 11, 2024

On Friday May 10, 2024, I started noticing the beautiful northern lights (aurora borealis) photos showing up on my X.com social media feed. They were so impressive that I told Brenda that we would need to go outside in the evening. While glancing at my skywatching info, I also notice that the International Space Station (ISS) would be passing overhead at a little after 10PM as well (photo below break) … so we made it a date. 

Since I finally fixed the Kubota Zero-Turn diesel problem with new filters, fuel and injectors, I was also able to finish up the back lawn as it was getting dark (thankful for the extra hours of daylight). My conclusion was that the fuel must have been tainted as that’s the only conclusion that I can come up with? Thankfully it was not the injector pump ($$$) or even worse a bent valve or damaged seat in the head. At about 800 hours, I was not ready for an engine rebuild.

Back to the northern lights photo — I think Brenda’s iPhone14 must have enhance the image a bit since it was not quite this impressive in person (although still very beautiful) or on my aging iPhone 7 Plus (poor photos). I did not put my Lumix GX8 on the tripod, but might consider doing that if we have another clear evening?

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Category: Archive, Cellphone, Diesel, Environment, Photography, Photos, Repairs, Social Media, Space | No Comments »
Tags: aurora borealis, backyard, diesel, gx8, international space station, iphone14, iphone7plus, iss, kubota, lumix, northern lights, skywatching

Posted By RichC on May 11, 2024

As someone who has spent their career in printing and publishing, I should know this, but why do so many creative people and graphic designers make reading magazines and some newspapers so painfully difficult? The typography in some is ridiculous.

I enjoy reading in the evening when my eyes are tired and the lighting is often less than optimum, so I’ve wondered why so much of what I read is not designed to ease the discomfort. One magazine that my buddy Jeff gives me when he is finished is Foreign Affairs and it is nearly perfect for reading. It would be nice if more publications took their queue from them.

On a completely different topic, thought I would archive (before tossing) an original facility design drawing that I made when helping Brenda build out the Soma.com fulfillment facility in West Chester, Ohio (LINK). The Seattle-based startup was eventually purchased by the drugstore chain CVS and become their CVS.com online presence — unfortunately the fulfillment facility was shutdown shortly after their acquisition. 

Category: Business, Human Interest, Memories, Tidbits | No Comments »
Tags: brenda, cvs.com, design, facility, foreign affairs, magazine, printing, reading, soma, typography

Posted By RichC on May 10, 2024

Sometimes I know that I’m just tempting fate … like when it comes to switching mobile phone carriers … in my case, MVNO companies. 

Last year, I switch my aging iPhone 7 plus over to USMobile on a trial. I ended up finding it preferred to Mint Mobile (T-Mobile) and found the service to be excellent, at least the Verizon Warp5G service (they also have GSM and will be adding AT&T this year — inside info).

Last fall, I switched to the “pooled data” plan with the intent of adding Brenda’s iPhone14 from Mint Mobile on her renewal date IF Mint refused to give me renewal option. They did not give her the $45 credit as they did last year, so it was an easier call. So the “port out” process was started. 

UGH .. not so simple. Her phone number got stuck in “porting Armageddon.” After an afternoon of “round and round” with pointing fingers, US Mobile finally gave Brenda a temporary number to use and said to give them another day.

To finalize this apocalyptic event … all is well with the US Mobile porting and so as of Thursday night, it will become a Tech Friday kind of post. As of now, everything is running as it should on the Warp 5G pooled data plan (although I’m not sure about Brenda using my 6 GB of data with her iPhone14 5G speeds? No video watching please!) 😊 

Perhaps I’ll up the data plan to 12 GB for the months we’re traveling more (away from WiFi) and then back to 6 GB at other times. The nice part about managing is that it is month to month … and additional GBs can be added mid-month for $2 each (vs 1GB for $10 with Mint Mobile). 

So here’s a referral link in case you want your own apocalypse event … although my recommendation is the same as I gave to my kids … “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” 😁

Category: Advice, Cellphone, Financial, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: carrier, Cellphone, iphone14, mint mobile, smartphone, tech friday, techfriday, usmobile

Posted By RichC on May 9, 2024

Being a great parent isn’t always expensive … it just takes a little time and attention to your children. Here’s someone spotted on social media being a great mom … and a pretty cute little girl enjoying the ride! 

Category: Human Interest, Social Media, Video | No Comments »
Tags: mom, mp4, parenting, twitter, x.com