Good Morning!!!! 35F @ 5:00AM. Abundant sunshine. High 56F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Long days of boredom, waiting, hunger, uncomfortable chairs, and being in a strange place, followed by cold nights, even more uncomfortable makeshift beds, wrinkled clothes, all punctuated by all to infrequent visits by doctors sharing tiny tidbits of information about the someone you care most about. If it wasn't for the kindness of the nurses, with an occasional warm blanket, tip on a "secret room", or caring gesture, it would be easy to lose one's mind in despair. We're all here pulling for you, too, Rip, hoping things keep getting better for you both.
Warm days in winter aren't here now, Don, but in years past, it made me wonder about how hot it'll get in the summer. This year was a real cooker, and I hope we don't see another like that for quite a while.
I haven't run any of the simulators for the new tax code since final passage, and it will be interesting to see what comes out. It seems a balancing act for itemizers like me, since many deductions have been sacrificed in order to provide a doubled standard deduction. Let's just hope that now that the suspension's over, Big Business decides it's good and profits will go up, demand for products will increase, and more people will be able to go back to work. That's what it was all supposed to be about, and now only time will tell if the experiment is successful. I just hope those of us on fixed incomes don't fall victim to more empty promises. Five hundred some pages of "simplified" tax code can hide a LOT of trouble...
I can only suggest a color for the TBN cup as I don't drink coffee most mornings. That would be a nice cornflower blue, the color of my friend John's favorite coffee cup, and the color he had painted the old motorcycle while he had it. He was still going last week when last we spoke, but as his tumor grows he's having more issues, the biggest of which have resulted in a profound weight loss he seems powerless to fight.
Speaking of the old motorcycle, someone did reply to my inquiry involving the broken neutral switch, suggesting it was a simple adjustment, and offering to talk me through the procedure. So yesterday I heated up the rear cover of the transmission and removed it, only to find that the misadjusted switch wasn't the only problem. A subsequent conversation confirmed my thought that a specialist's attention was required, so I put it back together, wrapped it in plastic, and headed down to the UPS Store to send it off. The place was busy but not mobbed, and while they did say they could pack it for me, at first they suggested it wouldn't be for several hours. I asked if they could make an exception, as the part, if damaged in transit, would be very difficult and expensive to replace. The young man helping me asked, and was given permission, so we went through several iterations of what ended up being a very tight and protective package. Good thing I insisted, as his idea of protection initially fell far short of mine, but his willingness to keep at it earned him a little tip and I slept well last night knowing that, short of losing it, it was safe from all but the worst punishment a UPS employee could dish out. Hopefully we'll find out later today that trust has not been misplaced.
Stopped by the local Beemer shop and got another lesson on where things went from their lead mechanic, and got to share in some Christmas spirit at the parts counter as well when I was offered a complete set of used turn signal housings and lenses when I inquired about a replacement lens on the touring bike. It seems the little plastic part isn't available from BMW any longer, and with a little elbow grease the used ones would easily pass for new. They got back some shelf space and I walked out a happy camper.
Also stopped by the water softener company to see why the bulbs I purchased last week wouldn't work. Well they worked fine in their lobby, as did the old bulb I thought was burned out. But the still didn't work at my place, until I spread the prongs on the power supply plug.:ashamed::duh: Just to be sure, I purchased a new power supply, and now I should be able to keep the water sterilizer going for a long, long time. The bulbs make ultraviolet light, and the fella helping me didn't want any of that "dangerous" UV light shining on his delicate skin. He insisted hiding under the counter while I plugged each bulb in to test it.:laughing: Perhaps I should be happy to be alive this morning?
I didn't stop by, but word from the mechanic is that he's decided on the better finished but more expensive transmission gears for the van, and would like a check to pay for them. I have a bit of work to do on the touring bike this morning, then I'll road test it by riding down to see him to get the whole story. As always, it should be interesting.
Ah, the ancient Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times."
