Grandkids and fighting Ubuntu Linux

We have the grandkids here, and they have more energy than grandma and I will ever have.  

I was instructed to set up the little swimming pool that we bought two years ago, and I dutifully complied.  It took two garden hoses running full tilt for about three hours to fill the thing.  It is only eight feet around and 30 inches deep, but we must not have much flow from our faucets.

It was cooooooold.  Oh man was it cold, but our 5 year old Claire was bound and determined that she was going to swim in it just the same.  Nothing was going to stop her.   I made her get out and sit in the sun, when she began to shiver. 

Luckily she needed a nap about the time it was getting so cold on her.  So that broke the persistence that she felt to brave it out. 

I went out for a cycle ride to try and find a cover for the pool.  A good excuse for me to duck for a little while.  I never did find an eight foot cover, as most are at least twelve feet.  They must not make a cover for our smaller pool.  I looked all over two years ago and couldn't find one then either.

In the middle of the afternoon, I decided that I would update my Ubuntu computer to the latest version, and that has become a big mistake.  The April 2010 is the latest stable version, so I downloaded it and installed it.  It doesn't work!!!  At least I have some problems that the automatic part of the download can't resolve, and I am going round and round.

It is quite technical, and I won't attempt to explain, other than I must not be smart enough to understand.  Like all software, you just have to hang in there until you see the light, but right now it is very dark.

So all is quiet at our house for a few precious hours, and perhaps I should get up to bed while that is here, because it will all erupt again at first light!!!!

Retired Rod

Fudd's is gone!

Boy its never going to be the same!  We lost our Fuddruckers here in Overland Park, Kansas.  It was 15 years old and the restaurant was beyond tired.  The area is in the oldest part of the downtown and most of the businesses have long since been remodeled.

I told Loyce that it wouldn't make it the last time we were there, and that seemed prophetic.  So imagine our look as we pulled into the parking lot only to find the building empty and a big for rent sign out front.  We both said I told you so at the same time.

But now where are we going to get those sweet potato fries?  The reason I like them is because being diabetic, the sweet potato fries are much better for me than white potato fries.  Think too many carbos with the white potatoes.  Well mostly anything white.  White is bad, in rice, sugar, potatoes, bread, and so on.....

Where is George Carlin when I need him to find me some blue food?  And we all know that blueberries aren't blue, they're purple.    Only blue Jello, and I'm not sure that is really a food!  But what am I ever going to do without Fudds?

There's one down in the Branson, Mo area, and the one we went to up in Des Moines, but they didn't carry the sweet potato fries.  Or were out of them or some such nonsense.    There are others in Missouri, but none in Kansas at all.

We went to TGI Friday's outside of a West Side mall up on Shawnee Mission Parkway.  It was OK, and they did have the fries, but they were cold by the time I got them.  The burger wasn't nearly as fresh and juicy, and I ordered a bacon burger, and when I got it they forgot the bacon.

The waitress didn't believe that I didn't have any bacon, and I had to take the top of the bun off and let her look.  Yep no bacon.  So she went back and got me two strips on a plate.  We had the bacon. LOL.

But no Fudds,     good land!

It rained here for most of the morning, and brought our outside work to a complete halt.  I spent the morning on the phone with the insurance agent, as I messed up paying for the pontoon insurance.  Sent them the wrong amount, and since it was short of what it should have been, they canceled me.  I had a really small envelope with this news in it, that I missed all together.

So now I get to straighten that out.  But heck its my fault.  I fat fingered the amount when I ordered the payment.  Couldn't blame myself, but darn there wasn't anyone else in the room.

Its always hard to say "I did that one wrong!!!"  "I'm wrong"  "I must have been wrong about that."  Now that wasn't so bad, and no one really got mad at me.

So now we need to go find my new favorite Hamburger place, and no it isn't Friday's.  Maybe if I make a list of all the places within say 10 miles, no 15 miles,  and set out on a project to go eat at every one.  But I will weigh 400 pounds before I get that project done!!!

Wish me luck!

Retired Rod

Back home to the work

This  was another of those days where its all work and nothing interesting to blog about.

Since we were gone most of last week, the yard needed attention and that took all of the morning.  Then the cars needed washed and the water spots dryed off.  That took to mid afternoon.

That's when it clouded up and rained and hailed.  Yes hailed fairly hard, on the car that I had just polished.  Oh well.  But it seemed to be a fairly clean rain, as it almost left no spots on the clean car.  Rain water is naturally soft water, and not at all like our city water spotty stuff.

I had to wheel the motorbike back into the garage just as the rains came.  That afforded me some time to be a computer geek.

Late in the afternoon, the bike came back out, and I rode to the town of Spring Hill.   There is a motorcycle appearl store there, and I ordered some netted long pants to go over my summer shorts.

The rip stop material is rated to skid along the ground without tearing for 120 feet.  They say blue jeans will go about 15 feet without tearing.  Me I want to slide no feet, but perhaps with the right clothes on I will never need to use them.

So all is well here in KC and I am certain that more 95 degree days are in our future.  And perhaps the rain shower in the middle of the day would be something to look forward to as that plays out in the long summer months.

Retired Rod

Memorial Day

I was a member of US Naval Mobile Construction Batalion number 11.  I deployed to camp Hains Viet Nam with them in 1969. We were there for most of that year, but were allowed to return to California in late November.

I was one of the lucky ones that came home in the same health and physical condition that I arrived in Viet Nam in.  Others from our Batalion were not that lucky.  We built several Railroad projects outside of our camp, and were required to defend these positions at night, after we had worked all day.

So Memorial Day takes a special meaning to me, as I remember and still wonder why I was allowed to carry on in my life, when others didn't.

I usually do not get all boisterous about these things, and do not go find a parade to be part of or anything like that.  But please pause a minute as this day comes to an end and say thankyou to our troops, no matter how or where they have served our country.

With that said, we spent the morning on the pontoon again driving the main channel of the Lake from our 2 mile mark home up past the 10 mile mark.  It had rained in the morning, and that seemed to chase the majority of the boaters away.

As the day progressed, others became brave and left their docks.  By 1 PM, we had enjoyed our ride and returned for lunch on the dock.  Others were now sturring   the waters we had vacated, and the sun began to heat the steamy air.  The kids swam and gave the temperature no pause.

By mid afternoon, we had to cover the boat and jet ski to get ready to leave.  It seems somber that it is all over, but generally we are so busy loading up that we don't have time to reflect on it.

Tonight we are back here in KC with a yard that has a weeks growth, and neighbors that are still partying in the street.  But they will all be back to work in the morning.

It was a good day,

Retired Rod