🧮' boro gets full Spring 🌼. OK. no flowers but work outside type weather. My priority was the garage
Wad hapin'd ! Swept the West side where the truck goes. Hand sweeping. Then everything gets in the way. Stuff ( really stuff ) needed binning, re shelving ( meaning should have been binned but saved for ...... another three years ). And re organized storage.
A valiant try. Someone has to do it. That's gospel
Somehow, feels like you have to do something - cleaning is needed and overdue
💷 ... with a younger crowd, next to my age was a 40 y.o.
Way too young. They did all the work.
Carrying and removing and replacing the truck hard top cover.
Loading and unloading three times.
Putting a TV and stand together [ I got to sit and put in batteries ]
I'm dead.
☯ ... I've looked at Love from both sides now .... ala Joni Mitchell.
recently [ two years b / c I am always slow on the uptake ]. the Icelandic singer and everything music, Laufey performed the JM standard, to a new standard. Comments were rave. I enjoyed and admired her performance - however, how much better is she than anyone else ....
to me, the epithets are fresh and vibrant and piquant
loved it
' boro is going to above freezing for today, then, we rise for five days. A cold night or two but we are headed Spring - > nice spring.
I need a rest day. Oh, alright, today will do, just fine
follow up: the flushmate toilet fill time review. The average is 40 sec c.f. the 4 min that was the situation for the last three weeks or so.
backyard looks remarkably cleaned out after the lumberjack work of Friday.
battle of the bulge -et. Yes. For about a month now, I have been careful eating. Back in Feb, I started at 182.2 lb. Today, the number is 175.2. There is always a Uh -o part. I don't look any slimmer or better. My pants fit awkwardly. I am down to reasonable girth, the size 36 are comfortable.
We need to be aware that last year, over the same time frame I did lower my weight pre - trip to UK. BUT as 2025 wore on, yes, everything went back.
The pattern is way less bready stuff and rice and veg / potato and veg. I surmise that bread is too easy - pick up a slice and add meat / jam etc
⚛ a return to sunny cold in the ' boro. Wearing the plaid lumberjack look - I lumberjacked the backyard to clear a dead tree that toppled AND crashed the wall
What was the greater tragedy 😭. Using the reciprocating saw plus pruner blade the victim was trimmed and tossed ( oh, the ravine is right there )
Topic : the flushmate power toilet. Yesterday I reported that I picked up the duckbill valve which prevents backflow of water and air out of the pressurizing bladder. Today I installed the new valve. Actually I was a little concerned, I didn't want to tear the old one. In case , I needed a spare but I was able to ease it out with a pair of long forceps. Well actually they're pliers but we use it for fishing to de-hook fish. The duckbill goes in atop the air intake opening and is held in place by the inducer cap. Finger tight connection. However, the suction of the process ' glues the duckbill to the cap '
we are claiming a success, on the two trials, that is flushing - we have times of just under a minute and also 50 seconds which is 3 minutes faster than the worst that's been happening for about the last 3 weeks.
further reportage. all flushes thus far are under a minute. FYI. A cartridge replacement is $ 180 [ time and parts ]. AND according to the online checklist system, waterline and screen first, second adjust the lever position, third replace the cartridge AND then the duckbill.
The info says ' for noise or irregular flushing ' check / replace the duckbill. NOT long full time.
BUT I found a YouTube vid that had a veteran plumber and he said ' check the duckbill first b /c 80 % of the problems could the valve failure or clog.
📲 ... accept the now. now. ' boro is partly, cloudy and that's all day. Temperature is headed N of 40.
big deal. maybe, headed for Great Sox, yes, selling socks. no not stocks - socks
Okay so I get to the corner where the store supposed to be? Can't find it, so I ask around. Finally I figured it out on the map, that it's the other way ( it's it's crazy the numbers go backwards on this street. Can't figure out why )
so get inside. Do I find the socks I want? Yes $16 a pair. However it's buy 3 pr get one free. So 33% off. I guess it's a deal. Anyways, took a chance. It's high percentage Merino wool, guaranteed antimicrobial blah blah blah blah blah and they're supposed to fit really well. So what the hell? I took a chance for $48.
so that's part of it then. The second thing this morning was I was supposed to find a duck bill valve for our power flush toilet so I pass a home Depot and decide I'll drop in but they don't stock it. But as we're talking I blather out something about Amre had it and the guy goes well. You just have to go up the street. I said what. Yeah he said it's just up the street
so that's where I go get lined up for what 10 minutes Guy said. No problem $7 later I walk out with the duck bill valve that's going to solve our problems with the power flush toilet
Oh while heading to plumbing supply. Drive by our fav Italian bakery ( had a fire in Dec ). The cardboard sign says ' pick up orders, use side door '. Took a chance, ' Do I have to order ahead ? '
Yes. But ask and maybe I can help you, veal sandwich
" that I can do " yeah 👍
verdict. Sox are exactly as advertised. Lite wool socks [ summer hiking ]. Comfy, easy to put on. And one size fits all, did fit me [ rare that ]. The Great Sox store had a sign ' all sales final '. Figured I'd take a chance - brand name, and reputable store.
Get home. The packaging from J.B. Fields [ ? ] says satisfaction guaranteed for one year.
Come on, who warrants socks for 1 year. Really
veal cutlet - winner as well.
duckbill valve still in the package b /c the toilet is flushing properly
At the Sox box, there were cheaper socks some merino wool [ expensive ones were 70 % merino ]. Heavier and anti microbial for 10 - 15 washes.
🈵 in the ' boro, as the rest of the city, potholes is the hot topic. on the watch, a neighbour got quick results and a large, enlarging tire gobbler was filled in last night
ahead, we have 40 F < then a big drop for 24 h. rain or whatever, a constant likelihood
report, I soaked the navy beans overnight [ not 2 cups but one ]. the rationale is ' if it goes wrong, at least a whole whack of foodstuff isn't wasted.'. Besides, there are two of us. I need some molasses and also while there, dishwasher powder.
I'm not buying those dishwasher pods anymore.
shopping was productive but expanded just a tad. also, bought house brand Mayo and unsalted toasted almonds
on the baked bean adventure. cooked the beans for an hour. prepared a baking liquid of chicken stock, packet of ketchup, brown sugar, molasses and a touch of red wine vinegar. poured over - sauteed bacon and the pre cooked onion mixture from yesterday [ see, really comes in handy ]
into the oven for an hour.
OK most recipes use 1 lb of dry beans or 2 cups, as mentioned.
I mistakenly, poured out the cooked bean water [ hence chicken stock ]
I figure the long baking time is to incorporate the flavours into the beans.
So, my version is shorter [ less flavour ??? ]
taste test. first trial rated a good. flavour right, beans are cooked but not soggy
Winner, first try. Hoping that re - heating the beans prior to serving amplifies the taste profile.
They also serve who only stand and wait[ a little Milton ]
㊗ Sun is up
Cool out there but 😍 beauti.
As a prep ahead, to use up leftover s, I pan fried onions, carrots and celtuce. A smashed garlic bud was slightly sauteed for a touch of piquant - cy
anyway, was a solid move. complimented the left overs.
even w / dinner tonight, bacon and eggs - a nice little side dish for flavour
the weather in the ' boro is fickle [ you know that ]. we got to > 40 by a tiddle and warmth is coming
BUT we drop to 32 and of course, much colder at night.
Celtuce ??? come on, for real ??? yes, its a lettuce grown for this stalk, mainly. Leaves are lettuce - y but sparse. Thus, you eat the stem. A supposed nutty [ gingery ] taste. Mine was OK, celery, maybe, a veg, that' s it.
overall, this has been a quiet set of days. I can tell you - very necessary, like recovery. like sleep.
OK. celebrate the quiet
