Bogieblog

Grilling

If it was ever warm enough or dry enough for a Bar-B-Q, this might be what it would be like. (no, seriously, bo read the description, the rest of this post will wait).

However, since the average temperature has been 62 degrees, and very dark and wet, I have used the oven and stove to cook, just to keep the upstairs at a temperature where I am comfortable in jeans and sweatshirt.

Yesterday was an exception, getting warm and being sunny, but we went visiting instead of making dinner, so no grill time for us.

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Labels Are Important

Geeze, this scare about Tylenol is just amazing. When I was young and took loads of Tylenol for migraines, I knew that it was bad for the liver, but I couldn't take asperin. I haven't taken Tylenol since mid-late 20's as I don't tolerate it very well any more (and, I figured out what caused my migraines, so don't have those any more).

Now, now, the rest of the populace and FDA is figuring this out? If it isn't one crisis it is another - get on the ball people, read the freakin warnings on the label and don't act like "if some are good, more must be better."

Really, as a young teenager, I knew this stuff, and I'm not really all that smart - If I could figure it out (without the Internet even), then the majority of the rest of the populace should be able to read and understand the label!

July 4, 2009

Happy Fourth of July!

As a guy at work said, "In the UK [where he is from - ed.} we don't really celebrate this occassion."

I told him it was okay, since he is over here, he can celebrate anyway (hey, he's British, gives him an excuse to tip a few pints, eh?).

Celebrate safely and may you have a nice sunny day like we did yesterday!

Goodby June

I’m glad we didn’t get used to the sun on it’s short appearances on Friday or Saturday; it has been cloudy, cool and rainy every day since then – pretty much like all of June. The average daily temps in June are in the 80’s. Listening to the local TV station last night, the chief meteorologist said that we only had 3 days that were 80 or higher in June. We also had something like 3 times the rain that we normally get in June.

I’m hoping that July is a bit drier and warmer, although the first several days are not looking to promise anything of that kind.

The Sun - it isn't a Myth

Cop Car wished that they could share their weather with us, and it worked! Friday and Saturday we actually had sun in the morning. In fact, instead of being in the 50's-60's, it was up to the mid 80s by 10 AM of both days. Then, in early afternoon, thunderstorms (some severe) came thru (on both days) and not only rained, but brought the temps back into the mid to high 60's.

Today it is different, it is raining now (lightly), we are scheduled for rain on-and-off throughout the day, and it is supposed to stay in the 60's.

Thanks for sharing Cop Car - send more when you can.

Pics From Bike Week 2009 - Unconventionals

I decided to break out the unconventional bikes from the previous post; there were lots of trikes, 3 wheelers and sidecars:

 

 

 

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Pics From Bike Week

Yesterday WS worked and today he has gone to the Blessing of the Bikes (no, I didn't want to make the 3 hour power run at 6 AM, so WS and Jimmy are by their lonesomes). WS's bike hasn't been blessed, and he figures with his luck, it needs it.

With all the rain, all the blooms have turned into a sodden, moldy, mushy mess, so I'll show you pictures from last weekend instead:

  Gotta start with the animals!

 

 

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Bear in the Woods

Wednesday morning, while in the kitchen making my lunch (for work) and deciding if I wanted to ride to work in the rain, I heard some skittering on the deck. All the cats were out, so I figured Tory and Fuzzy were having a minor tiff and I ignored it. Then I heard a loud BANG, and realized that it was the gate to the deck stairs hitting the railing.

“Man,” thought I, “the wind must really be howling.” I decided to check it out, as with wind that strong I definitely wasn’t going to ride. I turned on the back light and saw the gate swinging toward the rail again; this time more gently. Then it started swinging back to the closed position, then swung open again. About this time, I was about to go out and secure the latch, when I noticed fur near the top step. I figured it was Fuzzy, and I reached for the handle – then froze as a bear’s head came into view.

Dang, he (she?) was going to go for the feeders. My early warning system (the thistle feeder out at the clothes line) had been bypassed and he was going straight for the peanuts, suet and sunflower seeds. I thought for a second, as the bear face stayed right there, only half in view (it is really dark at 4:20 AM, expecially when it is raining). I opened the slider a couple of inches and half yelled at it, “Get going, get on out of here.”

The bear’s head slid out of view and I figured I would go out and retrieve the bird feeders. First though, I hade to figure out if the bear had actually gone down the stairs, or had just backed down a step. I grabbed a flashlight and shone it in the direction of the gate. It was closed so I slid out the door and over to the side of the rail and shone the light onto the steps. No bear – good! Then I heard the bear attacking the early warning system. I shone the light up the hill and sure enough, there he was working at getting the feeder. Good, he was occupied, so I grabbed all the feeders and brought them inside.

At this point, the dogs, who were sleeping downstairs with WS, decided to come up and investigate. They started woofing (softly). Thanks for nothing guys. Of course, the bear will go right by the dog pen, with the dogs in there barking their fool heads off, so it’s not like they would scare it off or anything.

I left a note for WS to put out the feeders before he left for work. For the next several weeks the feeders will be brought in at night, to discourage the bear from taking the trek up the deck steps.

And no, I haven’t found the thistle feeder yet. However, I haven’t been trudging around in the muddy, gloomy, rainy woods looking for it either. We’ll leave that for when it is sunny and dry.

Bike Week Part 2

A week ago Thursday, WS and Jim rode their bikes on the Mt Washington auto rode Ride to the Sky. They close the road down to 4 wheel vehicles so only bikes are on the road. It started raining on them on the way back down, but never mind, they road all day in the wet and the gloom (hey, sometimes you just gotta suck it up).

  WS

  Jimmy

Friday, everyone worked and the rain continued unabated.

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Bike Week Part One + Rain

A week ago Tuesday we went to see Fleetwood Mac in Manchester. It was a good concert although only half the members were there; Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Stevie’s voice is still wonderful and Lindsey never had much voice, so there wasn’t much to loose with age. What he lacked in voice, he made up for in energy and evident enjoyment of the stage. Stevie, was a bit subdued thru most of the show until about the last 3 songs (before the encore). The tickets were a bit pricy for what we got, but they did give us about 2.5 hours worth of show, so I can’t complain too much.

We both took the following Wednesday off (we knew we wouldn’t be home until late, so planned accordingly). We slept in a bit then got up and took my bike to the shop for its 4,000 mile checkup (actually, it was at 4850 – has Wichi Dude even got that mahy miles on his truck? HA). WS followed me to the shop in Concord, we dropped off my bike and I scrambled onto his bike and we headed for the Hill Climbs. We had planned well; it was the best day we had in 2 weeks - sunny and in the low 70’s.(probably the warmest day in the previous 2 weeks and this week too!). We watched the bikes, 4-wheelers and paddle-wheelers go up the ski slope for several hours, then headed back to pick up my bike and go home.

Last Thursday I rode in to work even though I knew that I would get wet on the way home. My rain gear kept me dry and my leathers (under the rain gear) kept me warm (it was in the low 60’s – 50’s at home). The same routine this Tuesday - rode to work in rain gear and rode home in rain gear.

We are still waiting to see the sun again, and cast off the rain. I rode into work this morning in rain gear again, but it is supposed to clear up (promises, promises) - for a day or so anyway. 

I would like a day with some sun. I would like a day without any moisture. I would like to hang a load of laundry outside to dry. I would like weather amiable for the corn to grow more than the 2" it managed to grow last month. In other words, I would like a day that isn't conducive to S.A.D.!