At work today

Decided not to go to the Fair today, weather report says 90% chance of rain and it's heavily 90%ing right now. Rescheduled for Friday, which is Armed Forces Day. Maybe I'll ride the WAVES! (old Navy joke)

No photo, I left my phone at home.

Back in the saddle

Work day going swimmingly, I'm being productive and efficient.

Back to the grind

I'm back in the office today, but for just one day.  I'm taking tomorrow off to spend it with Mrs Bristol; we're going to the annual celebration of farm and domestic animals, vendors of crap you never knew you needed, and foods that were never meant to be fried enrobed in tasty batter and dropped into boiling oil.  Yes, we're going to the State Fair! 

One more day @ the track

Another day of hanging out and watching racecars got by.  Only one significant crash yesterday, I was first responder, the driver is OK but the chassis is pretty much a write-off.  It was bent in ways that, while it could be straightened, it will be faster and easier (and maybe even cheaper) to just strip all the equipment off an install on a new chassis.

At the track

Still the quiet morning, people chatting, birds calling, the occasional tow rig coming through the gate.  Today is mainly Track Trials, actual racing is tomorrow and Sunday.  Nice to be out here again, first time this year real life hasn't kept me from a race weekend.

Headed out

Almost to the track, looks like we might have rain today.  But the rest of the weekend should be dry.  Photo taken before I left the house a couple of hours ago.

Been away

In training for the last few days in a facility with auto-flushers.  And now I'm going to be at the racetrack for the weekend, using sanicans when not at my hotel room.  So posting will likely be sparse at best.  

Have a good weekend.

The kittens

They have the run of the house now. The old cat isn't really happy
about it, but by getting 2, he isn't forced to be the play toy; they
beat on each other. The energy level in this house right now is
through the roof and it's funny to watch. But when
they wear out, you can almost hear the thud when they collapse.

Allergies Attack!

I'm miserable.  My head is a block of fuzz, I'm coughing, and I have a killer headache.  But I came to work because there's stuff that has to be done.  I may go home early though.

It's raining, all over the world

Well, at least here.  We get to go play in traffic in the wet, always an adventure.  Pray for me.

Weekend work

Out doing field work this morning.  Nice and cool, but really humid.  Chance of rain tonight and tomorrow; if we get enough warming today, might be some thundershowers.  I actually worked up a sweat, I try to avoid that.

Long 2 weeks

I'm in the middle of a 13-day straight working stint.  Lots of field work involved too.  Add in meetings with users and inspections scheduled and I'm a busy boy.

The Scots have developed a new biofuel

Well, not really new, butanol has been known as a good fuel for a long time.  It's better than ethanol (which gets all the government money only because Iowa has the first presidential primary and a shitload of corn) on several counts.  Three of the biggest ones are: A. it has 30% more energy per unit volume; 2. It can be mixed with conventional fuels in any ratio without risk of phase separation; and III. It doesn't divert farmland from food production, it uses waste products from the production of whiskey.

 

Luckily, it doesn't reduce the yield of the whiskey production.

Another decision on my mind

Our anniversary is coming up and I'm trying to decide what to do this year.  There's been so much travel for both of us this year, but staying home lacks a certain something.  OK, I'll say it, hotel sex.  The change of venue adds to the enjoyment.

Maybe someplace close, within a few hours' drive for sure.

"We're havin' a heat wave"

But it's due to break tomorrow.  That'll be good because I'm going to be working in the field quite a bit this week.

Thinking about getting a new car

I currently drive a 1996 Chevy Caprice that I bought used in 96 w/ 20k miles on it.  It's approaching 180k and I'm trying to figure out what to get.  I also want to get an RV, and doing so both expands and restricts the daily driver I buy.  If I don't get RV, it has to have a 2000 pound towing capacity; if I do get one, it has to be able to be flat-towed. 

Some I've looked at that are possibilities:

 

Subaru Forester and Outback; both have the towing I need and, with sticks can be flat-towed. Pluses, AWD, comfy, mileage; Minus, stick.

Ford Escape;has the towing capacity and can be flat-towed with the automatic (as long as you stop and run it for 5 minutes every 6 hours. Pluses, AWD, comfy, available hybrid: Minus, it's a Ford.

Honda CR-V; doesn't have the towing, but can be flat-towed. Pluses, 4WD: Minuses, towing, didn't really like it.

Hyundai Tucson 2WD or Santa Fe 2WD;' have towing and can be flat-towed with a stick. Pluses, warranty; Minuses, stick

And the Mazda Miata.  Pluses, fun to drive, performance, mileage, aftermarket; Minuses, towing.

Toasty!

92 degrees outside the house right now.  Luckily I got a portable A/C unit, so I'll be able to sleep tonight because there's no breeze.

Another week shot

Nothing even close to pithy today, I'm exhausted.  But Mrs. Bristol is doing much better and the kittens are getting bigger.

Looks like summer came back

In the high 70s today, 90s for the weekend.  It'll be a nice change, though I hope it doesn't last too long.

Podcasts

I talked about what I'm reading the other day, I thought I'd list the podcasts i subscribe to.  Here goes:

 

Scientific American: 60 Second Science

American Public Media (APM): A Prairie Home Companion's News From Lake Wobegon

APM: The Splendid Table

National Public Media (NPR): Car Talk

NPR: Science Friday

NPR: Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!

On The Media

PRI's The World: from BBC/PRI/WGBH

Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC): Quirks & Quarks

Savage Love

This American Life

CBC: Vinyl Cafe

 

I try to listen to some of these shows on the radio but don't always get the chance to, so I get the podcasts to make sure i don't miss them.  Some I can't get here on the roadio, or are podcast only (Savage Love could never be broadcast on the US airwaves.)  Ususally I listen to these while I'm working at my desk, if I'm out in the field I can't, so they pile up.  But I always get the backlog down to nothing every couple of weeks.  My two favorites have to be Vinyl Cafe and Savage Love.

RIP Ted Stevens

I never really liked the guy, he was more than a bit if a bloviating fossil, but that's a shitty way to go.  Sad that he'll be remembered mainly for the bridge to nowhere and his belief the the internet is a series of tubes.

My current book kick

I tend to go through phases in what I'm reading.  Currently I'm in a comic autobiography pattern.  I started with My Horizontal Life, Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea, and Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler.  I followed that with Chuy Bravo's Little Nuggets of Wisdom, then You'll Never Blue Ball In This Town Again by Heather McDonald and am currently reading Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin, one of my favorite performers of all time.  Only the Gods know what is coming next, but I'll bet it's never been (and never will be) featured on Oprah's Book Club.

The Blue Angels

I didn't go down to Seattle to watch them this weekend.  It was a good choice, the cloud level was down and they did the flat show.  That's mainly flying back and forth in front of the crowd at various speeds.  It also creates more noise complaints because the stratus deck reflects the sound waves and can even act as an acoustic lens and focus the sound.

I've seen all three shows; I'm waiting for them to come up with something new.

Seattle weather today

Fog/low clouds, light rain, mid 50s.  We've had weeks of sun and 70s/80s so just in time for the big SeaFair weekend it closes in.  Yesterday the Blue Angels flew the flat show, if today's were to be at my house they'd be doing the ground show; definitely IMC here.  Looking at the TV news, Lake Washington looks much better, all depends on what it's doing in 4 hours.

Kittens' first vet visit this afternoon

Time for their booster shots.  In a month all three felines go in for annual and rabies, and for the kittens, second boosters.

The never-ending humming!

Mrs. Bristol came home from hospital yesterday, still has pneumonia but feels much better.  She's on 2 antibiotics and will be on oxygen for a couple of weeks.  So, we have an oxygen concentrator humming away in the living room with her tethered to a 50 foot hose that the kittens think we got for them.  And humming.  And humming.  And...

Back at hospital now

Mrs. Bristol may get to go home today, they are going to walk her around the floor and see how she tolerates it.  She feels and sounds much better.

Today, a Special Guest Toilet

I'm at the local large (and growing) med ctr/hospital.  Mrs Bristol got sent here from Dr office.  She has pneumonia and her O2 data were way low; <90% on 4 lpm.  So, once again my life is in turmoil.

That certain age

In the office we're all reaching that certain age where one starts falling apart.  Frustrated is at home recovering from prostate surgery; Lapsed Catholic (post to come) recently went through chemo for melanoma and that seems to have messed up his heart, he's having A-fib; Boss Man (another post to follow) has had cataract surgery on both eyes.  Pussy Whipped (yet another) and I are actually doing OK, nothing health-related of note (yet...)

 

I expect I'll go along then one day just disitegrate into gray goo.  Sounds like a good way to go.

Mrs. Chart gets home today

I'm headed to the airport in a while to pick her up.  It'll be nice to have her home.

RIP Mitch Miller

Follow the bouncing ball to your just reward.

Settling in to watch the race

Nice to have the races back on SPEED.  I missed the pre-race show.  Looking at a lot of the video, I'm starting to think much of the "flexible wing" may be soft roll stiffness.

Oh, SPEED, more grid girls please!