Sunny And Almost Hot Out! It’s That Rare WaRshington Naked Day!

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According to GPredict, the ISS should be directly overhead at 0903. About 0720 I’ll get AOS for this “pre” pass. Got the uplink/downlink frequencies already up and monitoring. DM-780 SSTV up and running “just in case.” Antenna pointed in the right direction (straight up)(I mean; it is just a vertical antenna). I may not hear anything and (probably) have no chance of making a contact, but doing all this preparation has pointed out one very important thing to me: I NEED TO STRAIGHTEN UP MY FOOKING COUNTERS! (What the Hell are all these piles of paper and shit for?)

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Spent the rest of the day puttering around the house and trying to stay outside as much as possible. Then the mail came in.

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The RTL-SDR dongle thingie I ordered a couple of day ago came in. Been playing with that. I’ve heard only commercial radio (FM) on it so far for all my playing around with it. Turns out I need a “upconvertor” to get HF on it. Another $10 or so.

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And that’s pretty much it. Think I’ll watch “To Kill A Mockingbird” and hit the rack.


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Dump Run Wednesday. Oh, Joy.

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I used to ride a bike when I was younger. Sometimes wonder why I don’t now. Started out with a Honda 350 I bought from one of the guys on Deck Force for $250. Traded it in for $350 on a brand new Honda 500-4 and rode that until it was stolen in Berkeley, CA. A year or so later my future-Ex bought me a Honda 500 Twin. God, that thing vibrated! On a visit to Oklahoma City, my step-mom hopped on it, revved it up, and ran straight into her neighbor’s porch. I got it “fixed,” and it ran well for awhile after that, but it really never was the same and I eventually sold it so we could buy a van. At Camp Pendleton, I rode a friends (Triumph or Yamaha 600?) while he was on deployment for awhile, but never owned another bike. Wonder why?

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I used to really enjoy hopping on my bike in San Diego, Heading to Las Vegas, down to Yuma, and back to work on Monday. All that open sky! Fairly open roads! Freedom! And then I got married. (The first time.)

Took our Renter for a dump run. Checked mail. Worked in the garden some. Cold out there and trying to rain. All the usual chores, then lunch. Started whack-weeding the path the Dog and I usually take for our walks. Started my video camera to do another time-lapse of the cool clouds out there. Straightened up the fence I started installing day before yesterday. Need to get 3 or 4 bags of cement now.

Holy Shit! That suddenly sounded like a Country Song:

I rode a bike when I was younger
I don’t now and it makes me wonder
Why I gave it up, for my future-Ex-

She said “We really gotta get a car. My preggo belly sticks out way too far. For Heaven’s Sake, you’re straddling the tank!”

Quick. Someone finish it. I’m too depressed now.

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Dinty Moore for dinner. Added some corn kernels to it just because. Too tired and sore to actually prepare a dinner. Too broke to go to Taco Bell. Too ugly for anyone to buy me dinner. ‘Sides, I’m a Man. Dinty Moore and Beer should be plenty!

MCARC 2-meter Wednesday Gab Fest went over an hour tonight. Wow. Even had a new guy in Tacoma check in.

And, again, that’s pretty much it for tonight. SWMBO is home and it’s about time for me to go lay down. Or it may  be time to check out “The Twilight Zone” on YouTube.


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I Have A Hard Time Keeping Up

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Holy Crap I have a boring blog. Jeez. I started an earlier version of this post actually complaining about the amount of “projects” I need to get off my ass and get done. Complaining about how darned sore I’m feeling from putting SWMBO’s Rose trellis thingie in today. (And still not actually done with the thing yet.) And just generally being a downer. Sounds too SSDD. Too Middle Class White Old Guy.

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I know. My blog is specifically to tell the rest of the world how an ordinary, average, (Redneck), American spends his day after he’s “retired,” but, damn. There’s got to be a limit. Even I’m bored with complaining about some muscle soreness after exerting myself a bit much. I mean, like that doesn’t happen most every day. Daily chores? Who doesn’t have them? SSDD? My SSDD needle is maxed!

Dude! Get a life!

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Just ordered a: NooElec NESDR Mini USB RTL-SDR & ADS-B Receiver Set, (Previously TV28T v2), RTL2832U & R820T Tuner, MCX Input. Low-Cost Software Defined Radio Compatible with Many SDR Software Packages. R820T Tuner & ESD-Safe Antenna Input, Guaranteed and a Jetstream 4:1 Balun. The former just to play with and the latter for my newest antenna so I can finally start using it. Now I just need to learn how to connect a PL-259 connector to coax!

And that’s really about it for now. Just not much going on. SWMBO is home safe. Dinner is et. “Blood: The Last Vampire” is over. MS Money is up to date. Think I’ll go lay down and read awhile.


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I Need A Massage. A Real Massage.

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I am so sore. And tired. Can’t forget tired. Made a run to Home Depot in Silverdale then spent most of the rest of the day putting in the “new” fence around the animal poop yard. What made me sore was the digging. It was all rocks today. Could not dig an inch without being stopped by damned rocks. Spent more time poking the holes with that steel rod than using the post hole digger.

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Rather windy around here today too. Not really warm, nor cool, but very windy. Watching my antenna’s sway back and forth. Sun felt good when it was out and I was in it; but clouds moved in late afternoon and it all cooled right off. Sucks. I really am a warm weather person. It’s supposed to rain the rest of the week. And SWMBO is talking about going camping this weekend.

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Not much going on now. Started Season 8 marathon of the Doctor Who reboot. Finishing up cleaning up around the house. Almost time for SWMBO to get home.

Wow. SWMBO joined me to watch “Listen.” Cool. Nice way to close out the evening!


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