Don Foreman wrote:

Mary suggested that I do my 3 miles indoors today since it was hot and
muggy out. Nuh-uh, winter is long enough. It was indeed hot and
muggy but there was a brisk south wind.

Yup, living up north sorta makes us less heat tolerant. It was a b*tch at work today on
the plant floor. Our computer we use is in the parts cage, management considers the parts
cage an eye sore so they put slats in the chain link fence that makes the cage. It was a
bit stifling sitting inside trying to email people to get quotes for repair items. No
breezes. Monday, I'm ordering a fan.


By the time I returned, I was sweating profusely and draggin' a bit.
My tee shirt was soaked. I haven't sweated like that since Army days.
Sweat in my eyes behind my shades. But I was ready to go again
after a 5-minute rest and half a pint of iced tea. Dr. B has my meds
so the idle jet on my cardiac carburetor is set at just barely ticking
over with BP at 100 over 65 or so, but he keeps saying "you can do
more, you have no limits, keep pushing the envelope." Eeeyahhh. I
need a freakin' drill instructor at age 68 in my golden years?

Back when I was younger, I rode some bicycle tours in crazy hot heat, even 24 hour
marathons. Prevailing in a less than comfortable environment seemed like a be a man thing
to me. Strange how some discomfort makes you feel alive.

I'd like 100 over 65. 132 over 88 is as good as can pull off on average. I've hit some
nice lows like 117 over 71. I need to set up a time weighted average calculation for my
readings since over sampling when I'm worried affects the gross average.

I guess I could do it in excel. I know I could do it in Clipper if I still had it on my
machine. I was pretty good with it 10 years ago.



Mary wiped me down once I stopped sweating, about 10 minutes after
return. She asked if I wanted a wipedown just because I craved the
attention. I said "wull yah!" She said, "I like that about you."


You chose well. (So did she)


Then we went to the Toyota dealer to get the recall done on her
Corolla. That and an oil change would take 90 minutes or so. Geez,
I'd expected more like 30 minutes. I'd brought a book, but still.
Hey, we need a new rope for the flagpole and there's a Wal-Mawrt
within walking distance so out the door I went. I walked another 45
minutes, fartin' around in Wal-Mart and Cub (grocery) and back and
forth. Wal-Mart once again has ammo in stock. 100 rounds of 9mmp
that used to be about $18 is now about $23, but they do have it. They
also had .40S&W, didn't check price. Didn't see any .380 or .45ACP
but I didn't really look that hard. Just curious.

Yup, .380 and .45 seem unobtainium based on my consistent local surveys.

..380 is for social guns, guns we carry when we can't conceal a real gun.

..45 is for guns we carry going into places we don't care to go to. Hint, I carry a .45
when I'm near Detroit. It used to be a Security Six .357 before I bought a Ruger P90DC.
Some day, a 1911 but for now, the P90DC is perfect for defense. DA/SA. No safety to
worry about, not a chance that improvised carry will cause a unintended discharge like
with a Glock. I'm not banging on Glocks. In a holster, the rest of the safety system,
they are fine fighting handguns. I'm a revolver guy at heart. I don't mind a heavy
trigger pull for 21 foot or less distances which seems to be the threat line *if* you can
get to your gun.

I know why the current batch of semis are liked, pull it out, squeeze trigger, don't worry
about safety. Stuff happens fast, less steps, better chance of winning. I just don't
ever want an AD.


I didn't like the rope they had. "Synthetic" clothesline. Synthetic
could mean anything, recycled Chinamen for all I know. I want
nylon. The wind bangs that rope against the pole a lot, and if it
breaks and falls out of the top pulley I've no idea how the hell I'd
get a new one threaded. I'm not about to shinny up that flagpole
and I don't know anyone with a ladder that tall. I want good rope.
Line to y'all sailors.

You are a discerning purchaser. I'd check McMaster and get good stuff.


I noted that Cub had a book by an author I like, new release in
paperback, but Wally's usually has better prices. But Wally's didn't
have the book so I stopped back at Cub with the lovely stiff-nipples
air conditioning suggesting that the whole damned store is the frozen
foods dept. Grabbed the book, went to check out.

Cold is good right up to getting a headache from it. Like eating too much icecream on a
hot day.


A scan didn't work. The publisher's printed price was $9.99 and the
stick-on tag said the same, but the barcode wasn't working. The
cashier, an attractive cocoa-colored woman with dreadlocks, tried
entering it manually. No luck. I suggested that when a scan
doesn't work the price is $7.54. She laughed, said she'd go check
and went to the book dept which wasn't far. Came back with no news,
fancy that. She tried to call someone. That didn't work either. She
looked at me as I stood there patiently grinning at her. She dug out
some sorta pink electronic gizmo and pushed buttons for a minute, then
entered $7.99 on the cash register and that worked. I asked her what
the pink gadget was. She gave me a 300-watt grin, said it's a
calculator; she'd knocked 20% off publisher's price and it worked.
I think she liked me. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Sounds like an win win solution. She is brighter than many sales clerks.


Wes
--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller