April
1 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Most of these stories, if not all of them, I had read before in other collections of short stories. Some of them I recognized within the first page others took a bit longer. I did read them all again!Round the Red Lamp. Being Facts and Fancies of Medical Life is a volume collecting 15 medical and fantasy short stories. The idea has been suggested to Conan Doyle by Jerome K. Jerome two years before when he was editor of The Idler. The red lamp was the usual sign of the general practitioner in England wrote Conan Doyle in the preface. - Edited from The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia
"Beto" is trying his best to capture the left-wing of the leftist Democratic Party. There are a handful of Socialist in the running for the presidential nomination but he wants full Communism - no Communism lite for him.
The unprecedented concentration of wealth, power and privilege in the United States must be broken apart. Opportunity must be fully shared with all. We must all have the opportunity to succeed. Together. As one country. - Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke
Kunstler has a posting that reads a lot like what Michael Snyder has been warning about for years.
The homeless camps around Los Angeles have turned up cases of other medieval-type diseases typical of human settlements before public sanitation became a standard feature of civilized life: Many are spread through feces (as well as drug use): Hepatitis A, Typhus, shigellosis (or trench fever, spread through body lice), and tuberculosis. Gawd knows what is coming across the border into America’s proudly leading “sanctuary state.” Wait for it. Just sayin’. - Biblical Anxieties, James Howard Kunstler
2019 February Job Cuts: U.S. Employers Announced 76,835 in February is a Job Cuts Report released to the press. The mainstream media ignored it for the most part because it does not fit the narrative that they have been promoting for years that the economy is great. I expect that narrative to change soon, after a recession has been announced, and then the narrative will become It Is ALL Trump's Fault.
I will be getting Desperado's windows washed and the dash wiped down today now that I have some paper towels. Nothing else happening other than my usual routine. The next 10 days will be filled with trips to town for VA appointments, dental appointments, vet appointments, groomer appointments, Desperado's wash appointment & the usual shopping. Busy days are coming.
2 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
This morning was the start of my many trips to town. Today was blood draw day at the VA and I got lucky. My appointment was for 7:45 and I arrived just as they opened their doors at 7:15 and was told that the lab was closed because the phlebotomists had called in sick.
However, they were trying to find someone to do the draws and were able to find a woman that used to work as a phlebotomists in their lab that now has various other duties. So, my appointment was for 7:45 and I was out of there at 7:30!
No food or drink after midnight before blood draws. Therefore I stopped at Sunny D's on the way back to the Park and got breakfast. Then went to the Park office and paid for my electric usage, rent for the month of April and made a reservation for next year. I will not be here next December and January, I had enough winter this year.
I got a month of Dead Tree books added to Calibre yesterday and did some drawing on the beach pixel art piece. Probably do some of each again today. More appointments tomorrow.
3 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I have gone a shopping binge these past couple of days. All of it online and all of it avoiding Amazon. That has cost me a couple of dollars more but worth the satisfaction. Bought a Walkstool, a replacement Garmin USB cable, some beard conditioner (never tried any before) and a replacement Surge Guard (I have not had one for the past 6 months but thought it was time).
Dental cleaning and full mouth x rays this morning at 8:00. Then to my UPS Store to get an order of Leapknot coffee and the GoPo that I ordered from England on ebay. Some of those other orders will be arriving this week and I'll pick them up on Saturday when I go shopping. Last stop was at the Landmark for some breakfast.
Need to do some cooking today, other than that it will be more of the same.
4 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I cooked up a pot of lime beans with ham yesterday and had some for 'linner'. There is probably enough remaining for 5-6 more meals which I will rotate with salmon and my chicken, hulled barley, oat groat and Ricotta mishmash. I'll need to cook some more hulled barley and oat groats for future breakfasts sometime today.
Am I the only person that thinks Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke looks like Alfred E. Neuman? Alfred said this about 'Beto'; "America is still a land of promise, especially during a political campaign." Whereas 'Beto' has adopted Alfred's famous motto "What, me worry?"
Fact: When a conservative/non-leftist is accused of sexual harassment, it’s automatically and always true. The burden of proof is on the accused. However, the accused is guilty, regardless. (Example: Brett Kavanaugh)
Fact: When a leftist/Democrat/socialist is accused of sexual harassment, it’s automatically and always untrue. The burden of proof is on the accuser. However, facts don’t matter. Even if proof is established, the accused will never be guilty. (Example: Joe Biden) - Creepy Joe, Creepy Culture by Michael J. Hurd
5 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 5, 1931
I took a chance yesterday and gave Patches a hip and joint glucosamine treat. She did not gobble it up as fast as she has in the past but she ate it and it did not induce immediate vomiting. Stayed down all day so I guess it was only a reaction when I tried to give it to her too soon after her being sick.
She has started carrying her leg while we are doing our walks so I waited too long to start giving her the goclosamine again. I hope that starting again will give the same results as before. She rarely carried her leg after I got her on a regular daily dosage.
It is spring in Cochise County or at least my part of the county. I first noticed a few mesquite leaf bud on 1 April but thought it might be an April Fool's Joke. This morning I saw that there were some leaves that were fully open. This is a good sign that there is little chance of another freeze, the mesquites know!
Weather Underground has made a bunch of web page changes and I no longer have my closest reporting station. But another one not too far away reports highs in the 70s and lows in the 40s since 1 April. The 10 day forecast is mostly more of the same which will be great. There are the afternoon winds everyday but they have not been too bad so far.
"Personally, I think Victorian fantasies are going to be the next big thing, as long as we can come up with a fitting collective term for Powers, Blaylock and myself. Something based on the appropriate technology of the era; like 'steam-punks', perhaps." - K.W. Jeter, a letter to the science fiction trade journal Locus published in April 1987.Jeter’s letter tells us three important things.
I did not like this book by Powers as well as the first one I read by Jeter. I plan on reading The Nine Novels That Defined Steampunk as presented by the The Steampunk Workshop to see what there is that I like and what I do not like in this sub-genre. There is some fantasy writing that I have enjoyed and some that I do not.
Brendan Doyle, a specialist in the work of the early-nineteenth century poet William Ashbless, reluctantly accepts an invitation from a millionaire to act as a guide to time-travelling tourists. But while attending a lecture given by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1810, he becomes marooned in Regency London, where dark and dangerous forces know about the gates in time. Caught up in the intrigue between rival bands of beggars, pursued by Egyptian sorcerers, befriended by Coleridge, Doyle somehow survives. And learns more about the mysterious Ashbless than he could ever have imagined possible. - Book promo @ goodreads.com
6 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
A busy morning. During our morning walk I noticed that Patches was snapping at the fresh green grass. She has been doing this the past couple of days. The difference this morning was that she regurgitated sticky green 'stuff', no vomit of last night's dinner.
She also was carrying her left leg again but a little massage seemed to set her to rights. However, I was now faced with a decision. Do I give her a hip and joint treat at the end of our walk? How about breakfast? I gave her both and she has kept everything down so far.
Went to town with first stop being at the laundromat. Read most of my daily blogs while getting that done. Then to Café Olé where they tell me what I'm going to have before I sit down for my usual breakfast. Across town to Fry's for my weekly grocery stop then backtrack just a little to my UPS Store where I arrived about two minutes before they opened. The last stop was at Tractor Supply where I picked up three #28 bags of Earthborn Meadow Feast for Patches. Done for the day!
7 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Patches was again snapping at the fresh green grass, regurgitating sticky green 'stuff' but no vomit of last night's dinner. She did not carry her leg at all this morning and I don't remember her doing that yesterday afternoon. So she got her hip and joint treat as well as breakfast and I can only hope that she does as well as she did yesterday.
According to the Pentagon, 71 percent of our young adults are ineligible to serve in the U.S. military because they are either too dumb, too fat or have a criminal background.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has a solution for that as she does for everything that may be wrong, in her eye, with the United States. She casually spotlighted her revolutionary rejection of biology, sex, and the male-or-female society during a live Facebook chat in which she was asked about her views on the military draft. “As long as we have a draft, I support people of all genders being drafted,” she said. Problem solved!
8 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Patches made it through the morning walk without eating grass and no regurgitation. She also did the afternoon walk and this morning walk without carrying her leg. I think she is on the mend.
I got a good VA check up report this morning. The 'doctor' was very pleased with all my lab results. If she is pleased then I am pleased. The only disappointment was that I have gained #3. I only know how much I have gained or lost once a year when I go in for my VA appointment so it is always a surprise. I need to think more about portion control!
James Howard Kunstler posted another good article The Curse of the Thinking Class although it is not as sarcastic as usual. I have quoted his closing paragraph; a good read.
RussiaGate, of course, has been the most acute locus of neurotic dishonesty across this land the past two years. The primary information organs of the thinking class — The New York Times, The WashPo, CNN, MSNBC — have not only omitted to apologize for the dangerous hysteria they knowingly propagated, but they persist in supporting the matrix of fantasies at all costs in what must now be seen as a hopeless attempt to preserve their reputations and perhaps even their livelihoods. The repudiation of this nonsense by chief inquisitor Robert Mueller could not be more absolute, even if he was compelled by reality against his own wishes and instincts to do it. And now, what avenue will all this diseased animus of the thinking class go down in its destructive, shame-fueled frenzy to justify itself?
9 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
There is nothing exciting happening in my life now that Patches seems to be much better. I might even say that she is back to normal but don't want to put a hex on her recovery. She is eating well, has stopped eating grass and has not carried her leg for the past couple of days. Her vet appointment is on Thursday; I hope she does as well there as I did at the VA.
I have not done any pixel art drawing for a couple of days now. I did get some more of the Dead Tree books that I have read added to the Caliber library. Only have six more months remaining in 2015 and that project will be complete except for doing a backup onto a thumb drive. That will be another learning experience.
Spring in southeastern Arizona means winds and the weather experts are very good at forecasting them although they are not so good with their other predictions. The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for tomorrow from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm and continuing into Thursday at reduced strength. "Difficult driving conditions, especially for larger vehicles traveling along roads with crosswinds. Light, unsecured objects may become airborne. Minor tree damage possible."
Doug “Uncola” Lynn has written a great parable, The Oldest Story in the World. A recommended read.
10 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The weather guessers were right about the wind except they got the starting time wrong. Yesterday the Wind Advisory was from 11:00 am. That has been revised to 4:00 am because there were wind gusts of 40 mph at 2:00 am. That woke me up and Desperado has been rocking since then. The mountains that are east of me are now obscured by a wall of dust and we had dirt blowing in our face while out for our morning walk.
We will be staying inside so will avoid most of the wind and blowing dust. The afternoon walk could be curtailed somewhat we will have to see what it is like out there when it is time to go walk. I'll be doing some more drawing on the beach pixel art piece; made some good progress yesterday although you would not think so to look at what I have drawn. The latest book on my Paperwhite is a long one (1056 pages in paperback) so that is going to entertain me for a while.
11 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The wind was still blowing this morning about as hard as it had been yesterday afternoon. No Wind Advisory for today but there is a high fire danger with the strong winds. We didn't get any dirt blown in our face this morning while on our walk but Desperado was fighting the winds when we went to town.
Today was the day for Patches to have her annual vet visit. The cusury exam found her to be in good health except for lots of tartar on her teeth. I knew this from looking at her teeth myself but can not afford to have them cleaned this year. I elected to get a blood work up done to see if she had any underlying problems. If she get a clean bill of health from the lab test then maybe I have her teeth cleaned next year.
Went to breakfast at the Landmark after leaving the vet. Then stopped at my UPS Store and picked up a package from Garmin. It had a replacement USB cable for my Garmin watch which I now think has problems other than the cable. I ordered the cable because when plugging in to my Chromebook it was not recognizing that anything was plugged in. With this new cable it knew that there was a Garmin device however it deleted all walking history when I plugged it in. Problem solved new problem now present.
I did get another month of dead tree books added to Calibre yesterday, but did no pixel drawing. I got sidetracked and spent a lot of time reading about Linux Commands. What led to that was I added Chrome as a browser to my Toshiba which has Ubuntu/Linux as its OS. The Chrome icon was added to the Favorites Bar on the left side of the screen but I did not like where it was located and could not drag and drop.
Found how I could change the location of all the icons using some Linux Commands. It only took 4-5 tries and I was able to get the Chrome icon where I wanted it but that prompted me to spend more time that it was worth reading about Linux Commands. I do need to learn more!
12 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 12, 1931
The VA takes about a week to get me the results of my blood test from the lab. I received Patches results yesterday within 6 hours of her blood draw. We have both received passing grades.
After we finished our afternoon walk yesterday I entered the Garmin watch data for that walk manually to Garmin Connect. I have been doing that since I started having upload problems. I then connected my new USB cable to the watch and plugged it into my Chromebook and presto shazam all the history was gone. Chromebook did recognize the Garmin device so buying a replacement cable was a step in the right direction. Traded one problem for another.
I spent a lot of time online looking for a solution for the problem and found nothing that I could try. I did read that this problem seemed to occur when there was very little remaining data space available. However, there was no fix that I could understand to create more space available. I checked and found that I had only 176 KB available.
I did another reset, I think I have done 3 now, and checked again, the space available had changed by only a few KBs. I then right clicked on the Garmin icon preparing to eject the device and saw "Format The Device". Not knowing what that would do I said "What the hell!" and clicked it. Checked for space available and found that I now had 1 MB space available.
This morning after our walk I once again added the data to Garmin Connect manually. Then I connected the new USB cable to the watch and plugged it into my Chromebook and tried to import the data to Garmin Connect. It worked! The next thing that I want to see happen is for more than one or two walks to show up in History on the watch.
Fred Reed has done it again, a Reed parody Mars and Its Absence: What the Media Don’t Tell You that I have not quoted. There are no single passages that would provide a summary of what he has written. Recommended!
13 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I think I have fixed my Garmin watch data transfer to Garmin Connect problem. The new USB cable fixed part of the problem and the format device fixed the rest - I hope. I was able to upload the data for both walks yesterday using the new USB cable and I still have that History on my watch.
Thinking that I might be on a roll with this computer stuff I wanted to have the Chrome browser that I added to my Toshiba with Ubuntu/Linux open at startup. It only took me about four tries and a couple of hours but it now does that.
I am changing my diet a little. I have grown tired of the daily salad that I have been eating so will try something different. I cooked some chickpeas/garbanzos and then added pepper strips and diced red onions. Then for each 'linner' I add some avocado and tomato plus my homemade buttermilk dressing.
For breakfast I have been adding tart cherries to the hulled barley and oat groats for a long time. I'm going to mix that up a bit and add various frozen fruits. My Greek Gods Yogurt dessert has had frozen or dry fruit added; that will continue with dry dates, prunes and walnuts.
14 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The wind has quit blowing a gale, still blowing but moderately. What has happened is that we have moved back into wintery conditions again. The day time highs have been acceptable, in the upper 60s, but the lows for the past three mornings have been in the 30s. That is not acceptable although I must accept them. The 10 day forecast is expecting highs in the low 80s and lows in the upper 40s or low 50s - that will be better. Although I'll start complaining about it being too hot.
I wasted a lot of Verizon data yesterday. Tried to install Adobe Digital Edition (ADE) again and failed. I did get Wine and Winetricks installed - I think. Wine is needed in Ubuntu for ADE to open and work. I tried to do this some months ago and failed then as well. It does not seem like I have learned anything or to paraphrase Ygritte from the A Song of Ice and Fire series of books. "Ed Frey you know nothing". I will continue to work at this but I'm now exceeding my Verizon data quota for this time in the billing cycle.
I cooked a batch of very thick pottage yesterday. It has no eye appeal but taste good enough to eat. It consists on nothing more than lentils and potatoes cooked in a beef broth. Since lentils are touted as being good for me I'll be doing some more cooking experiments using them.
With all the time I spent trying to install ADE I did no pixel art drawing, no adding of dead tree books to Calibre and only a little reading on Paperwhite. I need to get back to some or all of those today. But that ADE is like a dog with a bone for me.
15 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I have thrown in the towel on the second attempt to install Adobe Digital Editions. I think I did the same things the second time that I did the first time and expected different results - INSANE. I did get some different results however, I made a mess. Perhaps I will learn something in my efforts to clean that up?
That is what I'll be doing today.
That and reading my very long novel on Paperwhite. The high temperature was 80 yesterday with a low this morning of 43 (the NWS reports the low to be in the 50s?). That is better! The extended forecast is expecting more of the same. I have nothing to say about Julian Paul Assange other than the mainstream media reporting has precluded a fair trial because of jury prejudice.
16 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
On Sunday I copied and pasted a lot of Ubuntu Terminal commands that I thought would clean up the mess that I had made. At the end of the day I saw only minor changes and still had a mess. Yesterday when I booted up my Toshiba and was prepared to give it another go I found that the mess was cleaned up - for the most part. I wiped out a few of my customizations along the way but they were easily replaced or ignored.
I still have an error code popping up everytime I startup but it does not seem to cause any problem with what I want to do. I can live with that for now. Because now I must go on a Verizon data usage diet or I am going to be buying additional bytes. My posting for the next week or so are going to lack any News comments because I will not be reading any News.
17 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I read no blogs or any of my regular News web pages yesterday no Verizon data used. Read email and replied or read and deleted or put the IP address in my email filter as My Junk; this used very little data per the Chrome Data Saver. I typed the blog posting offline but needed to do the formatting on my host server which again used very little data.
The total usage for the day was 18.4MB per Chrome Data Saver and 77MB per Verizon. I thought the biggest usage would be when I went to Gutenberg and downloaded a book in text format and saved it as a PDF file. That only use a little over 600 KB at Gutenberg per Data Saver. I'm no sure what makes the difference between Chrome Data Saver and Verizon but Verizon always claims I use more and they are who bills me.
I read The Soul of Nicholas Snyders Or, The Miser Of Zandam by Jerome K. Jerome yesterday in that format offline on my Chromebook. I use some data to do the download and save but all the reading is done offline. One of the biggest data usages was when I went to Amazon to find out how many pages were in the printed "The Soul" book. There are only 30 and it is not much of a story, does not merit a book cover and only recommended for those that are reading everything by Mr. Jerome that Gutenberg offers.
All I plan on doing today is dump holding tanks, take on water, read on Paperwhite, read PDF book offline, draw more of the pixel art beach and try to NOT use much data.
18 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The total data usage for yesterday was 27.4MB per Chrome Data Saver and 97MB per Verizon. I had to do some online banking which used more than the day before and I did something else which I have forgotten but no blogs or News sites read. That does not explain the difference between Data Saver and Verizon which looks like it is going to be 50-60MG/day.
The first thing on the agenda today after we finished our walk was go to town and drop Patches off at the groomer for her to get her semiannual bath. While she was getting all pretty I went to the Country House Restaurant where I got their Chorizo Skillet. A huge serving that was very good. I would go there more often but it is at the far southern edge of Sierra Vista.
Picked Patches up and arrived at the car wash about 20 minutes early but was told it would be an hour before they could get to me. Went to Fry's and gathered groceries and still had a wait for them to give Desperado her bath. I got today's posting started while there, maybe will finish it and get it posted before they finish.
There was also a stop at my UPS Store where I picked up fish oil and some shampoo that the VA mailed a few days ago. I also went to the VA audio department to get the information I need to order more batteries for my hearing aids. I had/have that information somewhere but have misplaced it or destroyed it. Done for another day and that finishes all the annual appointments.
19 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 19, 1931
The total data usage for yesterday was 14.2MB per Chrome Data Saver and 62MB per Verizon. I have developed a theory that explains why this difference. I'll be testing that theory during the next 2-3 days. It is based on how often I open Chrome. More about that later IF my theory proves to be correct.
I have nothing planned for today other than my usual routine. There is a chance that I will finish drawing what I think of as the first 'panel' in the beach picture in pixel art. I'll also be close to finishing the book I have been reading on Paperwhite, probably finish that tomorrow.
20 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I screwed up yesterday when I tried to set up a scenario to test my theory about the difference between Chrome Data Saver and Verizon data usage. I'll try to do everything on my Toshiba using Ubuntu and Firefox today and see how much data I use per Verizon.
I used a lot of data last night getting Ubuntu/Firefox set up so I can do the same things that I need to do for a posting. I needed to bookmark the sign in page for my host server first of all. Then I needed to download some FTP software (FileZilla) so I can upload book covers and my pixel art. I already had Google Drive bookmarked so that did not require any added data. Still not reading blogs or News sites.
A Dance with Dragons is the fifth novel, of seven planned, in the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. In some areas, the paperback edition was published in two parts, titled Dreams and Dust and After the Feast. It was the first novel in the series to be published following the commencement of the HBO series adaptation, Game of Thrones, and runs to 1,040 pages with a word count of almost 415,000. - Edited Wikipedia
21 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I tried to do the same things online yesterday using Ubuntu/Firefox that I did on 16 April using Chrome/Chromebook. Even though there was the difference between Chrome Data Saver and Verizon I used twice as much Verizon data yesterday. So it back to using Chrome/Chromebook and ignore the difference.
Just not reading blogs and News sites is not going to save enough data to get me through the billing cycle from what I have seen so far. I will continue doing that but during this next week I have some month end online work to do that will use more data than last week. I'll just do it and see where that leaves me.
Green Mansions, the movie, starring Audrey Hepburn as Rima was released in 1959. I found Afoot In England by W. H. Hudson when looking for something to read in the FREE travel genre offered by Amazon. After reading it I looked to see what else the author had written and saw Green Mansions and immediately remembered seeing a movie by that title in 1960.
I do not remember many movies that I have seen but that one stuck with me. Perhaps it was because I was a teenager and smitten by Audrey Hepburn. I don't remember a lot about the movie either but seem to recall that Rima does not speak until more than half the movie is over.
Green Mansions, the book, was published in 1904 yet what I have quoted could have been written yesterday.
Every nation, someone remarks, has the government it deserves, and Venezuela certainly has the one it deserves and that suits it best. We call it a republic, not only because it is not one, but also because a thing must have a name; and to have a good name, or a fine name, is very convenient—especially when you want to borrow money. If the Venezuelans, thinly distributed over an area of half a million square miles, mostly illiterate peasants, half-breeds, and indigenes, were educated, intelligent men, zealous only for the public weal, it would be possible for them to have a real republic. They have instead a government by cliques, tempered by revolution; and a very good government it is, in harmony with the physical conditions of the country and the national temperament. - Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest, W. H. Hudson
22 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
A failed revolutionary attempt drives the hero of Hudson's novel to seek refuge in the primeval forests of south-western Venezuela. There, in the 'green mansions' of the title, Abel encounters the wood-nymph Rima, the last survivor of a mysterious aboriginal race. The love that flowers between them is soon overshadowed by cruelty and sorrow...Green Mansions offers its readers a poignant meditation on the loss of wilderness, the dream of a return to nature, and the bitter reality of the encounter between savage and civilized man. - Book promo @ goodreads.comI think that the romance in Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest was written with the second definition in mind. i.e. Romance: A mysterious or fascinating quality or appeal, as of something adventurous, heroic, or strangely beautiful.
The author has his Able character say
..for this is the sweetest thing that solitude has for us, that we are free in it, and no convention holds us..He make many references to solitude throughout the story. I think the book is about much more than boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl. It is only during the later part of the 20th Century that romance has become romantic.
I got some of that month end 'stuff' done online yesterday. It didn't cost me as much data usage on Verizon as I thought it would - encouraging. I'll be doing some more of that today and tomorrow and hoping for the same surprise.
23 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I will be getting another month of Will Rogers weekly articles prepared today. If I use all my data quota I'll have that done.
Yesterday I used 233MB getting other month end blog chores completed. I certainly can not continue using at that rate but after today I will be back on a strict data diet.
This 'book' is only 60 pages in paperback but I read it by downloading from Gutenberg in text and then saved as a PDF file. I could then read it offline on my Chromebook. It is not much of a book but is an entertaining collection that showcases Mr. Jerome's satirical talents.This isn't a play or novel itself, but rather a series of short satirical essays on the conventions and cliches of theater. There are essays, for example, on the stage hero, the stage heroine, the stage villain, the stage "adventuress" (read "tramp"), the stage lawyer, etc. I enjoyed this a lot, particularly some bits about what passes for stage "law" -- e.g., that whoever finds the will, gets to inherit --- and his observations about how the stage hero always manages to knock out three or more villains with a single punch, all for the glory of the most insipid stage heroine, whose charms are never as evident as they seem to be to the stage hero. If you enjoy theater, particularly from that period, and don't mind seeing it ridiculed, you should enjoy this. If you never read or see plays, then this may not be of interest. - Customer review @ Amazon
24 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
When I read Rodney Stone I found two books on 'coaching' that Conan Arthur Doyle acknowledged as being helpful in his writing the book. I read Coaching Days and Coaching Ways which I found interesting. I can not say the same for this book. Its most redeeming quality is that it is short, only 70 pages in paperback. Not recommended.Another shopping day. This one started with breakfast at the Landmark, probably the last time this cycle. Then gather groceries at Fry's where I got an offer to buy Desperado while loading them in her.
I was too early to get my haircut and should have waited in front of the door. That cost me another 20 minutes in wait time because there was only one barber working. Last stop was at the espresso shop for a latte.
25 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The Sign of the Four (1890), also called The Sign of Four, is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes. Doyle wrote four novels and 56 short stories featuring the fictional detective...It presents the detective's drug habit [cocaine and morphine] and humanizes him in a way that had not been done in the preceding novel, A Study in Scarlet (1887). It also introduces Doctor Watson's future wife, Mary Morstan. - WikipediaAt the beginning of January I broke a tooth and also had a psoriasis flare. Didn't know which was causing me to have a fever and chills. I now know it was the psoriasis flare because it has happen again. Yesterday afternoon it hit me and this time I had sweats and very low blood pressure. Took Patches for a very short potty walk and I was staggering like a drunk. Slept through 'linner' and did not have much of a appetite the morning but I did eat breakfast.
For there is nothing as stupid as an educated man if you get off the thing that he was educated in. - Will Rogers
26 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: April 26, 1931
I think I'm on the mend. There is still plenty of evidence of the psoriatic flash just like there was in January. I think I still have a low level fever and know that I have bad sweats. Blood pressure back to near what I consider normal for me. I had some appetite this morning, yesterday I was eating because I should today I feel like eating. No energy yesterday, we did a potty walk in the morning and then half our usual afternoon walk which I struggled to do slowly. This morning we did our usual distance and just a little off pace.
I am going to try an experiment again to see if I can find what is using all that data Verizon claims I am using. Yesterday I checked email twice and posted to my web page, nothing else. Chrome Data Saver reported about 6 MB whereas Verizon claims I used 81 MB. At that usage rate I will be able to make it through the billing cycle but I can do nothing else for the next 8 days.
If you do not see a posting from me tomorrow have no fear. If you do not see a posting from me on Sunday contact the Cochise County Sheriff Department and ask them to do a wellness check or rescue Patches.
27 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
There is no reason to contact the Cochise County Sheriff, I'm still here. I'm also still not quite all here. The plan was to goto the Cochise Gun Club Pistol Workshop today but I just don't feel up to all the standing that is involved. I also had a difficult sleep last night which is unusual. So it is a low energy day.
The experiment is moving along nicely but so far has thrown my theory in the trash. I did everything, as much as possible, yesterday using Chrome and Verizon as I did on Thursday. As previously reported, I used 81 MB of data per Verizon on Thursday and 45 MB yesterday - inexplicable.
My afternoon usage both days was only to upload Garmin watch data and to check email. Those two activities require about 3 MB per Chrome Data Saver. I don't know what Verizon recorded on Thursday but yesterday they said I used 13 MB. My theory was that it would be more than that.
This morning I opened Chrome with Verizon but did nothing else. I'll do that again this afternoon and see if I get the same usage reported. All my data usage for the day will be through the Park's WIFI. I used it yesterday for a little over and hour and it was a very frustrating experience with a lot of dropped connections and having to sign on again. This morning I got on around 6:30 and it has been great with a medium to strong signal. That will soon deteriorate as people get up and start drawing down the bandwidth.
28 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The experiment has been as bust in providing an answer to what is using data that Chrome Data Saver does not record. I opened Chrome yesterday through Verizon but did nothing else expecting some data usage to be reported by Verizon. The did report, but said that used -0- MB.
The experiment has proved helpful since it has got me onto the Park WIFI, which I was going to be forced to do, and that will maybe get me through the billing cycle. I don't know what the next camp WIFI may be like but with a strict data diet I think I'm going to make it without buying more data.
I'm still a bit low energy and the psoriasis flare continues to be bothersome. Not extremely painful but enough to be uncomfortable. That is my excuse for not wanting to do the house cleaning chores this month but I'll get to them after breakfast. They may get done a little slower this month but they will get done.
Not being on the computer to read blogs and News has given me more reading time. I'll have another book cover and 'review' posted tomorrow. it has also given me more time for the beach pixel drawing which is showing some progress. I can now actually see the picture starting to develop. Sort of like watching a Polaroid develop for those of you old enough to remember those days. My roommate and I did some great double exposure pictures with a Polaroid back in 1967-68.
29 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I guess I will just forget about the difference between Chrome Data Saver and Verizon. I can use Data Saver to check web pages for how much data they are using and adjust my viewing habits accordingly. During this self imposed News blackout I have added a couple of the bigger data users to my image blocking list. That saves more data than Data Saver.
The Nine Novels That Defined Steampunk, an article by Johnathan Greyshade, makes the claim that K. W. Jeter, Tim Powers and James P. Blaylock were the three fathers of the steampunk genre. I have read the three novel by those authors that are cited as being in the nine. I did not like this one much although more than the one by Powers, probably not read any more by this author. I'm also undecided about the other six novel of the nine.Homunculus is a comic science fiction novel by American writer James P. Blaylock. It was published in 1986. It was the second book in Blaylock's loose Steampunk trilogy, following The Digging Leviathan (1984) and preceding Lord Kelvin's Machine (1992). The book was originally published as an Ace paperback by the Berkeley Publishing Group and is included in the Adventures of Langon St. Ives collection. - Wikipedia
I have Desperado's cab area to clean up today. Also need to dump holding tanks and add water either today or tomorrow and that will have me ready for the road. I have set a 'long stay' record here at Quail Ridge this stop. It is the longest period that I have stayed in one place since hitting the road on 30 November 2009.
Tomorrow will be my last trip into town this cycle. I'll get laundry done while there and pick up a package that I hope has the batteries for my hearing aids, that will save me the expense of having the package forwarded.
30 April
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Today was my last trip into Sierra Vista during this cycle. I'll be back next February and start another one. After we finished our morning walk it was into town with the first stop at the laundromat. That did not take long and I was at Café Olé by 8:00 but my usual waitress was not working today and I had to tell the one that waited on me what I wanted.
Stopped at my UPS Store and picked up the package of hearing aid batteries and said goodbye to the staff there. Then it was to Fry's to fill Desperado's tank with gas and her kitchen with groceries. Then farewell to Sierra Vista for this year.
I think I now have enough data remaining in my Verizon account to make it through the billing cycle. I am going to do what I consider my usual daily activities today and I'll see what my balance is tomorrow morning.
With the start of the new billing month I will implement some changes that I have been thinking about during this period of forced data usage. The blogs that I have been checking everyday do not have new postings everyday so I am wasting data. In the future I will be checking them only twice a week. The News, and web pages that comment on the News, will also be brought up only twice a week. The other three days will be available for me to check blogs that were not daily, do random web browsing and other data using activities. I'll see how that works out during this next billing period and adjust as required.