A little something from my camera roll
Look at this…crab claw?…in the long grass miles from the sea. Enigmatic.
It reminded me of this picture. Only, you know, my one is stupid.
Oh, c’mon. Yesterday I got buzzed by the Goodyear blimp! How am I going to follow that up? I’m just not.
Good weekend, everyone!
July 2, 2021 — 7:30 pm
Comments: 9
Refreshing!
No, not the beer. Pabst Blue Ribbon is the ultimate tiger piss (what my mother called cheap American beer). In time for the 4th, Pabst is putting out the 1776-pack – 1,766 cans of beer.
I asked the internet how much a can of beer weighs and got the answer .78 of a pound. So the 1776-pack weighs in at 1,385.28. You’d think the cans at the bottom would be crushed. Maybe they won’t really put them in a giant box in the back of a pickup truck with a dent in the door panel.
You won’t be surprised to learn they’re only making four of them to give away to select influencers (ew, I hate that term. Is there really such a thing as a cheap beer influencer?). But fear not – ordinary uninfluencers can still buy a 99-pack of tiger piss.
This ad really threw me when I saw it. I was waiting for the punchline. When was the last time you saw a company a) correctly identify who their customers are and b) attempt to appeal to them?
I’ve grown accustomed to being scolded by capitalism for my sins.
June 29, 2021 — 5:53 pm
Comments: 16
can’t…look…away
I forgot how sticky the CCTV is for my eyeballs. Clockwise from the upper left:
1. The window over the kitchen sink, so I can see who’s coming in and stealing catfood in the middle of the night. No luck yet.
2. My white trash chicken empire. Yeah, it looks bad. Most of those ratty old enclosures will go when my flock is whittled down.
3. The front. Needs a strim. Kitty!
4. The Bin. The bin-raiding villain hasn’t been back for two days. I think I’m not leaving enough chicken food in for bait, but dammit I hate wasting the stuff. I left a bag out tonight.
And yes, I’ve seen Gigi, the wannabe mama. Saw her this morning. I leave food for her outside the ‘ole – which disappears, but our garden is mobbed with little birds (not to mention mice, etc.), so I can’t be sure it’s her eating it.
June 24, 2021 — 7:38 pm
Comments: 7
Bow before me!
This object is not an ancient god nor an archaeological specimen. It does not predict the future. It never had fabulous jewels for eyes. It doesn’t hum during astrological events.
Or maybe it is and does all of those things, but for sure it’s a shoehorn.
It’s in total about two feet long and brass and I bought it on Ebay as a Christmas present for Uncle B. That’s when I discovered the world of collectible shoehorns.
Just when I think the Internet can’t surprise me.
June 15, 2021 — 7:46 pm
Comments: 8
It’s…complicated
I was going nuts this afternoon trying to remember the third line to “i before e except after c” – the second, if you don’t know, is “or when it sounds ‘a’ as in neighbor and weigh.”
Well, it turns out there isn’t any third line, as such, that I could find. And the rhyme goes all to shit after line two.
The most complete I found was Merriam-Webster’s but, for reasons I can’t work out, they left in a number of examples where i was indeed before e.
If you can work out why, let me know. I’m probably being dense. So here’s their list with those examples removed:
I before e, except after c
Or when sounded as ‘a’ as in ‘neighbor’ and ‘weigh’
Or ‘e’ as in ‘seize’ or ‘i’ as in ‘height’
Or in ‘-ing’ inflections ending in ‘-e’ like ‘cueing’
Or in compound words as in ‘albeit’
Or occasionally in technical words with strong etymological links to their parent languages as in ‘cuneiform’
Or in other numerous and random exceptions such as ‘forfeit’ and ‘weird’.
I hope that clears it up for you.
June 10, 2021 — 6:37 pm
Comments: 13
I’m getting better!
A piece of china, a roofing nail and a length of wire twisted into a loop. Not pictured: another nail.
How do you find china with a metal detector? You don’t. There’s so much china embedded in our lawn that you’re bound to find a bit if you dig (I’ve even seen other bits with this pattern). So much of it, I have a theory that they put broken china on the garden on purpose, probably to deter slugs.
I need a better spade. And one of those metal detecting wands for sticking on the ‘ole. Yes, I am one of those people who takes up hobbies because I love to buy gear.
I’ve learned a few things. Don’t hold a clod of dirt under the detector with your left hand; there’s a gold ring on it. And be mindful where you put your trowel down – that thing’s metal, too.
This is not an entirely pointless exercise. There’s a not-protected field near me where I know good things have been detected. Not spectacularly good things, but interesting ordinary things like musket balls and shoe buckles. It was the main path between two villages for centuries. I just have to get permission.
June 8, 2021 — 8:04 pm
Comments: 13
The new mower with the old mower in her arms
Yes, I broke down and bought a new one. Or Uncle B did. I didn’t think I was up to a carburetor disassembly (my hands still aren’t quite right).
(My blog knows I’m in England and would really like me to spell that carburretor).
Also, the old one had a hole in the rubber pumpy bulb thing and the cover to the air filter won’t stay on. It’s time, I guess.
I’m going to miss the old one, though. You can see how little it is compared to the new one (which is the current smallest one they make). With the plastic decking (no rust!) it was super light and maneuverable.
(My blog would really like me to spell that manoeuvrable).
The new one doesn’t have that rubber pumpy bulb thing. This concerns me. That was an important part of getting ‘er started on every other lawnmower I’ve owned so far. Do they really not need it no more?
June 2, 2021 — 7:37 pm
Comments: 14
Happy Memorial Day
It’s a long weekend here, too, but for no particular reason.
Saturday was the first day of 2021 that we didn’t have the central heat on. I must say, though, it was gorgeous this weekend. When it’s nice here, it’s perfect – hot in the sun and cool in the shade.
I blew out my arms gardening, so please be content with this nice picture of senior cat, snoozing in the freshly turned earth of the back flower border.
I hope you observed appropriately.
May 31, 2021 — 8:14 pm
Comments: 5
I kind of like it…
…but I can see the townspeople’s point.
It’s a statue of a púca (also pooka, phouka), a shapeshifting spook from Irish folklore. All the Celts had a variation. The little town of Ennistymon commissioned it to impress tourists.
Well, they commissioned something. This thing skeers them. They don’t want to live with it.
And then social media got involved, and social media likes it. Stay tuned.
Good weekend, everyone! We finally had a day without the central heat on – it’s going to be a good one!
May 28, 2021 — 7:26 pm
Comments: 19
I have to share
I received the most charming letter to work today. I have blurred it a bit, but I don’t suppose the writer will ever see it for reasons that will become apparent in a moment. She begins by saying she’s planning on visiting the town some time in the near future and will our collection be open for viewing. Then the corker:
Of equal importance so far as I am concerned at least, can you perhaps note that I don’t have the benefit or luxury of a computer here so I’m afraid it would be pointless, futile and impossible trying to urge and direct me towards such things as websites, emails or other similar fancy devices and hence for this reason I do, therefore, eagerly look forward to hearing from your good self in these respects in due course.
I am stonked. Naturally, I wrote her a nice letter and tucked a brochure in the envelope.
So what do we have here, an old person, a young person or merely an odd person?
May 27, 2021 — 7:16 pm
Comments: 13