Music Monday: Band on the Run – Paul McCartney and Wings
Posted By RichC on March 23, 2020
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The “Stay-at-Home” plan for COVID19 will continue for a while
Posted By RichC on March 22, 2020
We are definitely not the only ones praying a little bit more that usual nowadays while listening to those who are trying to help the country and world manage and get through the Coronavirus threat. 
I reluctantly worry about the elderly and less capable of fending for themselves especially if they have underlying health issue – stay isolated and stay safe. Hopefully their children, neighbors and gig economy delivery services will be able to help them weather this contagious disease.
For now, I’m continuing to keep myself occupied at home with our room painting and bookshelves project … although without regret am moving slowly and allowing myself to get distracted with cleaning and organizing projects (the furnace room was a disorganized mess – well still is, but with less stuff).
Brenda is relatively content streaming something on Netflix or Amazon Prime … which leads me to an interesting movie we watched last night (our evening routine). It is not that I’m recommending Super 8 the movie, but don’t think you can go wrong with a J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg film?
For some background on my movie pick: One of the road-trip vacations we took with the kids when they were younger is a trip around Lake Michigan and hitting Lake Superior as 
well as Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and at that time I had signed up for some kind of “special perk” discount when staying at Super 8 motels … so I semi-planned stops at as many Super 8s as possible … quoining the term SOUP-er 8 vacation and the exaggerated pronunciation (it always invokes a smile).The name along wasn’t the end of the movies calling to us … it also took place in a small Ohio town … and when I hear “train derailment” I automatically though about the small town of Ada, Ohio where Brenda and I went to college since the freight trains regularly ripped through the middle of town at high speeds. Of course the town was fictional … yet one scene in the movie “mapped” the location of the town far closer to our house than I imagined. We both enjoyed pausing the movie to look at the map!
The weekend (weekdays) bookshelves and painting project
Posted By RichC on March 21, 2020
The painting projects continue without a need to rush or complete anything quickly. Finished the ceiling paint, some patching and trim area and “might” paint the first coat of paint that Brenda has picked on Saturday – “Bermuda Sand” (which is more yellow than the pink sand color that comes to mind – see below).
Besides the Music room / Library painting project, I’m continuing my slow progress on the bookshelves. After edge banding and priming, I’ve moved on to pre-painting the first coat of gloss for the shelves before assembly. Hopefully they will stay relatively decent while I flip to paint each side and then fit in place. I know I’ll still be cutting the center section to fit, so suspect some chipping and scratching will occur.
Annalyn’s artwork and Ellerie is already 4 weeks old!
Posted By RichC on March 20, 2020
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Has it been 4 years since we donated the beloved Toyota Rav4?
Posted By RichC on March 19, 2020
Every once in a while MyDesultoryBlog’s “Year(s) Ago On This Day" script pops up something that shocks me. It is hard to believe we donated Brenda’s 1998 Toyota Rav4 back in 2016? It does not seem that long … but "life moves pretty fast …" as the Ferris Bueller line goes. So I’ll repost one of the last photos from the UStream-ed Raspberry Pi garage cam and link from several years ago for this weeks Throwback Thursday #TBT.
As depression kicks in, watched the film “Miracle” for inspiration
Posted By RichC on March 18, 2020
For those of us who in December thought this Coronavirus ‘thing’ was a Chinese story and not going to be a big deal here in America; we were wrong. COVID19 and the economic impact is being felt far and wide by everyone in the world. I still want to believe it will be short-lived and that the death toll is low and that we’ll be able to rebuild our economy quickly. 
As of mid-March 2020 the 14-day quarantines for those returning from cruises seem pale in comparison to the “shelter in place” and shutting down of “all gatherings over 10 people” orders being put in place. I am finally comprehending the “flatting of the curve” thinking coming from our medical experts who are concerned with possibly too many patients needed ventilators and ICU care.
Let’s hope Americans understand this and come together in a way that stems the rapid spread across our country.
Brenda suggested we watch something patriotic and uplifting … so we watched the 2004 movie “Miracle” about the United States men’s ice hockey team that won gold in the 1980 Olympics. The metal round saw this group of “boys” coached by Herb Brooks defeat the heavily favored USSR professionals was dubbed “Miracle on Ice.” (here’s a previous post with the final minute YouTube video from 2013)
You should watch it if you need inspiration and as a way to rally together in facing this challenge.
As an aside:
When my daughter Katelyn and Drew lived in Wayzata, Minnesota a few years ago, their neighbor was Rob McClanahan was a member of that 1980 Gold Metal Olympic team who went on to play in the in the NHL and a financial broker. One of the highlights at the time of the "Miracle” was the argument between McClanahan and coach Brooks that motivated McClanahan to return to the game and play through his injury. This help inspire his team and rallied a come-from-behind draw against Sweden getting them to the gold medal game later in the tournament.
Campaign for Americans to “do their part” to fight COVID19
Posted By RichC on March 17, 2020
Since all Americans are in this fight together, it is appropriate we take the precautions necessary to slow the spread and "flatten the curve" of the Coronavirus so that our hospitals and medical professional can help those who are in need of their care. Appropriately each state has stepped up with their own actions – some more aggressive than others – and even political opponents have come together ‘a little’ in this election year for the interest of the country and all American people (good to see).
Link to Whitehouse.gov’s Coronavirus Guidelines PDF for America
I’ve tried to tamp down my own personal anxiety by telling myself to treat it as emergencies that I’ve live through in the past. I grew up with the “duck and cover” drills in the 1960s. The arms race and the threat of nuclear inhalation during the height of cold war. There were Vietnam war protests, racial tensions and riots when I was in grade school and my family personally lived through house destroying floods and tornadoes. I grew up with the draft, the probability of being sent to fight the spread of communism overseas, oil shortages, embargos, a presidential assassination (and attempts), mind-numbing inflation and double-digit interest rates on mortgages, terror attacks, more war (one that never ends in Afghanistan) and several business destroying and job killing recessions. Then there were major diseases … even in modern times: HIV, SARS, EBOLA, influenza, etc. (link)
Yet as of mid-March, this health crisis feels different. Perhaps it is because we are in the midst of it and the disruption and challenges are making such an impact? COVID19 has for the most part shutdown the entire world in a very short time. A bright sign is that at the virus’s epicenter, Wuhan, China, life is beginning to improve … meaning that “perhaps” in a month or so, this hemisphere will see recovery. Let’s hope and pray that the measures we are taking today prevent unnecessary deaths and prevent the most vulnerable in our country from getting infected.
Just in case .. the CDC suggests you prepare yourself, your family and your home with a plan. One little tidbit from the website might get overlooked … but read them all.
Just home projects while ignoring work and financial markets
Posted By RichC on March 17, 2020
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Music Monday: Johnny Rivers and Swayin’ to the Music 1977
Posted By RichC on March 16, 2020
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Who really wants a plugged tire on their BMW X5 35d?
Posted By RichC on March 14, 2020
A little over a year ago I replaced the run-flat tires on the 2010 BMW X5 35d with a relatively economical set of Vercelli NON-run flat tires. 
This necessitated adding a temporary spare in my underfloor storage area … but besides price, the ride quality is much better.
Unfortunately this past week nail found its way into my front left tire and thankfully didn’t leave me stranded. It was a slow leak triggering the TPMS sensor (and BMW’s reset on the E70 and probably others takes a long time). It was an easy home plug since the relatively short nail was right in the center of the tread pattern (below). Hopefully my attempt at plugging these tires will be better than the many failed plugs in my lawn tractors over the years.
So far so good.
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.