When talking about the wide spread damage in the Dayton area by a tornado earlier this year with the guys putting on our new gutters(Raspberry Pi cam picked up one of the guys’ legs and tweeted it to me) … I mentioned that I once did some tornado repairs in my hometown. I couldn’t quite put my finger on the year, but realized my mom kept a Sidney Daily News clipping of me working on one of the damage roofs. It was June 8, 1981, and works for Throwback Thursday #TBT post. (BTW, I’m the guy in the clipping below – top left on roof top).
As for jobs and work of any kind, building homes was definitely at the top of my list and a favorite summer job - good memories. Not only did I get paid fairly well, but was given more responsibility than I really had the experience for – but learned fast. The transferable skills are some that have served me well throughout my life. Unfortunately not many college kids are looking for hard but rewarding summer work with skills they can use the rest of their lives.
(click newspaper clipping for larger image)
The core crew that I worked with were exceptional workers. Both Jim and Todd were rock solid loyal and honest – and two guys I would have trusted my life with (and did at times while working on houses!) We worked long days and often into the cooler evenings which made for great paychecks. Thankfully even on the slow days, Tombs and Associates would keep us busy so we would continue to get a decent paycheck (important for me paying for college). I was the go-to guy for “running service” (the list of things needing attention on newly sold homes) and repairing the work vehicles in my dad’s barn/garage the evening (below). My boss John was decent guy as he let me take the truck to and from work each day and even paid me extra to fix the rust and repaint the work truck in the summer of 1980 (photo). A great summer work experience.
As a conservation minded “conservative” and as someone who has always balanced the cost vs benefits of decisions, I once thought “recycling” was as simple as “not littering” and cleaning up pollution highlighted by the 1971 ad campaign(Iron Eyes Cody photo above). From an early age we were bombarded by pointing out how careless we as humans are … and the changes we can make to improve our environmental footprint.
I was an advocate for the environment particularly in my teenage years, perhaps by being a Boy Scout and advocate of the outdoors helped? A one time I even wanted to be a “forest ranger” … like half the boys I grew up with in school. I was frustrated as to how careless adults and corporate America had become when it came to pollution. I think everybody deep down recognized it and knew we couldn’t continue … nor did we want to inflict so much noticeable damage. Thankfully through public service campaigns like “Keep America Beautiful,” EarthDay and simple everyday education, all of us slowly evolved to do at least the simple things. People stopped throwing trash out the car windows, kids nagged their parents and companies either stopped polluting lakes, rivers and streams voluntarily …or the US government through a new federal agency, the EPA, will force and fine. Airplanes, cars, trucks along with fuel and refining standards all improved immensely, as did the coal fired power plants by adding scrubbers and cleaner coal. Factories and schools switch from coal to cleaner natural gas as did homes. We cleaned up our “dumps” and landfills (as we filled them) and America for the most part became “noticeably” cleaner. Most of us reflect with a sense of pride that we made a difference. (I also miss the days as an adult working on renewable fuels like biodiesel when I started this blog – especially algae-based biodiesel – as a way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel)
Unfortunately just living in this world, there’s not really a way to get to zero-emissions. About the best we can do is focus on “bang for the buck” or at least maximize in areas that are the easiest and least damaging to the economy. I’d like to believe we are still steadily improving and that, minus the rhetoric, that “we in the US” have made improvements. Unfortunately, after seeing the gyre of marine debris in our oceans, and air-quality conditions in high density cities (particularly in China), I’m not sure we are doing as much as we can … particularly with plastic waste in our country.
To compound the problem, politicians purposely create election talking points that force us to take sides on issues rather than working together where there is agreement. Republicans (conservatives) are reluctant to talk about environmental improvement, granting ownership of anything “green” to the Democrats. Democrats for their part are granted carte blanche by the GOP and have permitted their most radical fringe full control of the agenda. This extreme is unwilling to weigh their “Green New Deal” benefits (many questionable) vs the financial cost to our economy, particularly in the area of CO2 emissions. The damage to the economy in lost jobs, tax revenue and quality of life in a very short time would be huge … yet the benefits of forcing the elimination of man-made CO2 may not even make enough difference when it comes to the changing climate (the latest “crisis”). To make the economic impact worse, the US trades globally and the likelihood is that we’ll outsource even more of our jobs to countries in Asia who need/enjoy their industrial growth and are unwilling to cut back on their CO2 emissions. My point is to find sensible and cost effective solutions that doesn’t drastically impact our economy and quality of life.
Environmental editorial aside … the purpose of this blog post was to highlight an interesting two part NPR Planet Money podcast on just how ugly our recycling program has turned. Once again, a great idea in reusing and recycling that had us feeling good about our contribution to being wise stewards of the environment … instead might be causing even more damage! Several points in part two of the podcast are downright depressing – like paying companies extra to collect plastics, hauling them across country to a US port, burning more fossil fuel to then pay even more to ship these huge loads of recyclable materials to China … and then finding out China disposes them rather than reusing … and the really sickening part, often these US originated plastics are being dumped in the ocean! Ugh. (Episode 926: So, Should We Recycle below, but the first part about the 1980s Garbage Barge was interesting too)
The weather has been super hot and humid so far this July over most of the eastern half of the country. It is pool and grilling weather to be sure … although when the pool water temperature is 90 degrees, it really doesn’t feel all that refreshing anymore.
Since I was clearing off the porches and putting the furniture in the garage for our upcoming projects, I decided to moor our old dinghy Trinka in the pool (below).
Thankfully this week we are in for a change – at least a break from the near 100 degree days; we’re even getting rain, just as the gutters were taken off the house and new larger GutterShutters were halfway installed (no downspouts or even hole to drain the collected rain out yet). I’ve been trying to spray the vinyl soffits and brush, but perhaps a long wand powerwasher attachment would work better (if they make one)?
Hopefully the crew of two will get the new gutters finished up on Tuesday, so as to start with prepping and painting the exterior trim. All of these are big ladder oriented jobs. Usually I’d consider doing the painting work myself, but the older I get, the wiser I think is I think it is to hire someone – I am using Certapro for the painting.
Another photo for the archive is our pool pump that I spent half the weekend working on. It was only a cleaning this time, but having replaced the electric motor not all that long ago, I’m overly sensitive to the tell-tale chatter sounds – which I’m always thinking that I’m hearing. Nevertheless, clean filter media reduces backpressure so I hope that helps both the circulation and pump motor longevity?
What would summer be without Jimmy Buffett music and cheeseburgers?
How about remembering summer fun with Jimmy Buffett‘s Cheeseburger in Paradise song from back in 1978 with a relatively new personal connection twist? Besides me being a nearly life long listener, this past year or so I have another connection to Buffett as mentioned before.Taylor’s girlfriend Megan, grew up in a Parrothead(sort of) home as her dad Dave (teacher/football coach), worked security for years during the popular Cincinnati Riverbend concerts, as well as other venue (he has great stories). Megan often was able to hang around with the crew during rehersals and set-up and often sat right up front for years … yes, really too young to be at a relatively adult themed concert. One early concert story was when Jimmy Buffett was enticing the crowd to sing the chorus in with one of his “adult-themed” songs, he came down and covered up Megan’s ears. Over the years, Jimmy Buffett and the band saw her as a Cincinnati-regular and watch her grow up a little each year — and of course as often happens, the children of Jimmy Buffett fans become adult Parrothead themselves. For the Son of a Son of a Sailor 2019tour (July 18th), Megan and her mom made a cheeseburger-looking cookies(photo) for the band and crew — hence today’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise” Music Monday song (played live first time the year I graduated high school!)
The Buffett-Ohio connection goes way back and was always seen as a moment of escapism, be it for one night at a concert … or more often listening to music on a less than desirable winter day, at least for me. Even as a frugal guy in the 1970-80s, who didn’t “waste” money on albums or concerts (made cassette tapes), I looked forward to the yearly October release of JB’s new album and songs. My first Buffett concert was his Volcano Tour at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) in March 1980 w J.D. Souther. I still have the clipping. As I’m staying more often these days, “great memories.”
I am calling today “embarrass your wife day,” as she admitted to the questionable decision to open a door with a hammer when I was out of town last week (although she hid the damage for a day). Now that a few days have passed, it is a bit easier to chuckle and admire the damage she can do with a hammer (keeping this in mind before irritating her).
Short story: She ended up locking the bedroom door as she was getting ready for work. Her purse and keys were in the bedroom so time was short in which to devise the best plan to get back in. She admitted the idea of breaking an outside window crossed her mind, but thankfully she didn’t go that route. What she did do was to try and use the wire/key gizmo for indoor doors, but as frustration set in and the lock would not turn, she resorted to a hammer. MANY swings later, she pounded her way through the door telling me she was surprised how many swings it took – I could tell!I’m sure there was a better way, but the story would not have been as humorous.
As has been highly celebrated and reported in every form of media this week (and mention in not just one, but two earlier blog posts), today is the 50th anniversary of the landing a man on the moon. It was the historic Apollo 11 eight-day mission to the moon and back with the goal of landing and setting foot onto the surface of the moon (actually 6-1/2 hours after the landing and officially July 21st). The Space Race goal was set in 1961 by President Kennedy in a historic speech to Congress. He said “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”
PHOTO above: Earthrise, taken on December 24, 1968, by Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders
Neil Armstrong – Apollo 11 “One small step…” (mp3) | 7/21/1969
Although I couldn’t possibly remember any of Kennedy’s speeches or appearances as they happened (2 years old in 1961), I was likely in the room with the radio (or maybe TV). What I do remember is the attention my teachers placed on science and math a few years later when I was in school. We all had a vested interest in the space race with the Soviet Union and saw their possible dominance in space as a threat to democracy. Eight years later, as I sat with myfamily at 10 years old watching Walter Cronkite cover the week long “mission to the moon” event, I couldn’t help but feel a part of something big. Most of us admire the desire to reach further and challenge ourselves … or as the fictional Captain Kirk put it, “to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!”
Disturbing and “creepy” (as Katelyn messaged) … although I don’t mind looking a bit younger. 😉 Photoshop in the old days was fun to play around with, but nowadays, video and photo manipulation is beginning to frighten me. Taylor sent me this age-changing photo from our weekend at Put-In-Bay using FaceApp.
Although there is a more serious concern:
FaceApp, the controversial app which uses AI to age user photos, has become the viral story of the month. Yesterday, July 17, there was a highly-charged debate as to whether the app posed a privacy threat, as covered by Thomas Brewster for Forbes. And the answer is fairly simple: “No, FaceApp isn’t taking photos of your face and taking them back to Russia for some nefarious project. At least that’s what current evidence suggests.”
Driven by celebrities, it has been difficult to escape the viral craze of the St. Petersburg app this week. Now, a day later, concerns have apparently shifted from privacy to national security—with the news headlines set to be dominated by the potential legal issues around an app that has now captured more than 150 million faces, after Chuck Schumer, the leading Democratic senator, called on the U.S. FBI and FTC to launch an investigation.
I’m archiving the last few photos from my iPhone from this past weekend updates to Condo master bathroom. I finished what I was able to do without an extra set of hands and will do the rest the next time Brenda is in Florida with me (it is hard to set a toilet with a wax ring/mounting bolts all alone). With the plumbing finished and vanities set and caulked (posted yesterday) … the switches and plugs were next on the list. Previously I had moved the wall razor/hairdryer plug so as to be able to fit the planned corner mirrors (layout photo below/right for height and width above the faucet).
One of my favorite appliance items in this older condo is the bathroom heater/exhaust vent made by NuTone. Besides the superior quality of the "older" versions of the NuTone products (and Broan/NuTone products), which are repairable unlike newer plastic versions, there is a "name-sake history" with the company’s founder J. Ralph Corbett. NuTone was a hometown Cincinnati-based company, and once the "largest American producer of home electrical products(starting with a simple door chime).
Ralph and Patricia Corbett were perhaps the best known philanthropists in Cincinnati. With their Corbett Foundation, they benefited many local arts venues, including Music Hall, the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music, Riverbend Music Center and Northern Kentucky University.
Finished up the vanities in the master bathroom at the condo this past weekend and all went well in putting in 5 new valves and 2 drains. I shocked even myself in that all “went as planned.” Unfortunately the struggle began when mounting the polymer rather than wood molding across the back to top off the bead board and create a clean edge against the less than perfect back wall. The photo above shows the creative clamping when using adhesive rather than damaging the molding with nails. It actually looked pretty good “until” I started to add a bead of silicone caulking to fill the tiny gap and prevent any water/dirt from the marble sink tops and behind the wall. For some reason the 1 year old silicone would not bead smoothly and balled up … it was nearly impossible to clean back off and reapply new. Oh, well … I guess this proves I’m still an amateur?
The exterior painting project that has been completed on a few of the other buildings has started while I was in Florida and unfortunately that meant that I had to keep the hurricane shutters down and park my car in a different lot. Oh well, at least I was able to supervise a little bit.
Archiving a “before painting” photo below with the windows all taped with plastic.
The Apollo command module and Lunar Module (LM) sat atop the huge 363-feet tall Saturn V rocket which weighed in at 6.5 MILLION pounds. I sat mesmerized in front of our small flickering, round-cornered, Zenith TV as a 10-year-old with my mom, grandmother and brother (dad was at work), just as I did for the moon landing four days later. It was an amazing time to grow up.
I mentioned that I once did some tornado repairs in my hometown. I couldn’t quite put my finger on the year, but realized my mom kept a Sidney Daily News clipping of me working on one of the damage roofs. It was June 8, 1981, and works for Throwback Thursday #TBT post. (BTW, I’m the guy in the clipping below – top left on roof top). 
