“It may not look pretty, but at least the leak is stopped.”
“I’ll give you that, but what an eyesore. The neighbors are going to have a field day at the New Year’s Eve party, talking about the mess you made.”
“So you are just worried about what the neighbors will say?”
“Darn right I’m worried.”
“You should be happy that we got the leak under control and not worry about the gossip.”
“I’m the one who has to deal with these folks. All you do is work most of the time and don’t have talk to them.”
“Still. For the most part, we keep our place neat. This was an emergency. Don’t you think they will understand that?”
“I still don’t understand why it has to look like such a fright?”
“The water pressure was just too great to take the time to make a lovely patch. I had to get the water stopped before it ruined everything.”
“Can you fix it now?”
“No the binder has to set up before I make any more adjustments.”
“How does this happen anyway? You built our place. Did you do a lousy job?”
“This is a small setback, and you are making a mountain out of a molehill.”
“You don’t have to listen to the whispers.”
“We had unprecedented rain, and the water pressure was just too much.”
“Why didn’t this happen to others?”
“Take a look.”
“What?”
“Do you see any dams left downstream?”
“OMG, where are they?”
“So much for wondering if ours was built properly. I don’t think you have to worry about what is said at the New Year’s Eve party. I think you and I will be the only ones there. The rest will be chasing their tails trying to find logs to rebuild.”
“You are my hero. Happy New Year, you eager Beaver you.”
This post was first published on December 30th, 2013, by Marie Ann Bailey and me. I think it may still be good advice.
Top Ten Things Not to Do on New Year’s Eve
10. On New Year’s Eve, do not think you need to consume everything in the city. If you do, at best, you may gain a few pounds. At worst, you will never ever feel better again.
9. On New Year’s Eve, do not think everyone is in love with you. If you do, at best, you may get a new roommate. At worst, you may wake up next to a stranger who is now your spouse.
8. On New Year’s Eve, do not think you have to scream “Happy New Year” more than once. If you do, at best, you will lose your voice. At worst, someone may in fact put a sock in it.
7. On New Year’s Eve, do not think you need to invent and issue resolutions for everyone else. If you do, at best, you will lose some friends. At worst, your host may resolve to ban you to the patio.
6. On New Year’s Eve, do not think you have to help others drink more. If you do, at best, you may be the last person standing. At worst, you may be named as a co-defendant on a DUI.
5. On New Year’s Eve, do not think you need to give everyone a kiss. If you do, at best, they will all think you are a nerd. At worst, you may pick up a nice case of bubonic plague.
4. On New Year’s Eve, you do not have to sing “Auld Lang Syne.” If you do, at best, your off-key rendition will be recorded for playback when you are sober. At worst, you’ll not know the words and remove all doubt as to your IQ.
3. On New Year’s Eve, you do not have to tell everyone exactly what you think of them. If you do, at best, a few will want to take you outside. At worst, several will.
2. On New Year’s Eve, there is no reason to remove some of your clothes to be more comfortable. If you do, at best, you may not know when to stop. At worst, there could be additional records of your lack of discretion that you will need to pay handsomely to squelch.
1. On New Year’s Eve, there is no reason to get behind the wheel of a car after you have won the shots per hour contest. If you do it, at best you will end up in jail. At worst, you might just hurt someone.
Today is an in-between kind of day. The Holidays are past, and the New Year is in front of us. It is a good time to take a look at the deciduous trees that have finally turned here in Texas. It is also a good time to check in with the volunteers who are busy restocking the seed library. We are catered by Comedor of Austin, and our entertainment is Elsie Duckworth
Caesar Salad – Romaine, epazote, masa croutons, Manchego cheese
Here’s the bus. Let’s go.
The location of the seed library. The administration offices of the Lakeway Municipal Utility District.
There are treats.
Some discussion with Stephanie Threinen, CPC Public Information Liaison. (Right)
Sorting donated seeds and labeling the packets.
The work is very necessary.
To help, some music to keep the spirits bright.
Most of the deciduous trees in Lakeway are oaks, so there is a lot of red. The color time is very short.
A lovely oak.
Another oak but golden.
Bradford pears with red leaves,
An oak just turning. In a week, these will be on the ground.
Another oak.
A final oak.
Now that we have witnessed the seed round-up and the changing color of the trees, it is time for food and music. I hope you have a great week and a Happy New Year celebration.
So here we are, between Christmas and the New Year. It’s always good to have a nice, quiet cup of coffee on a Saturday morning. Of course, there is a certain dependency on the machine to be in the right frame of mind to deliver that cup of coffee. It looks like today is a lucky day, since a push of the two-coffee button delivers the eight-ounce cup of steaming stuff that is vital to moving on with the day. The first sip is heaven and drives the demons back to their lair. The plot thickens just before the second sip. The familiar interruption of the Westminster chime signaling that another idiot can’t read the “do not ring the doorbell sign.” Tossing a bone into the soundproof room gets Twiggy and Tempeste off the ceiling chasing after it. A slam of the door brings peace back to the abode.
The security monitor shows an image of someone who looks a lot like Wile E. Coyote. A challenge through the intercom, and, long story short, he has an envelope that requires a signature. With a sigh, I start the security shutdown process.
The SWAT team needs to be put on standby. A quick text to the leader confirms that status. Also, the flight of A-10 Warthogs must be diverted. Another call to the commander puts that worry to rest. The SEAL team needs to be called off, and a call to the leader makes that possible. A call to the tow truck driver stops the deployment of an M1A1 Abrams Tank. The control panel simplifies the security system’s shutdown process. The boiling oil vats are put on standby, the turret mortars disengaged, the Trebuchet on safety, the concertina wire rolled, the Claymore mines reset, the tower Gatling guns on safety, the moat net dropped, the alligators fed, and the IEDs and shoulder-held rockets put away. The Proton torpedoes switched off. The gamma ray beams covered. The high-powered maser guns switched to standby, and Robbie’s nanorobots are chained in the basement. The Klingons are called back, and the Targ is caged. The locks are thrown, and the door is opened.
The Wile look-alike hands me the envelope and a clipboard. My signature is applied and given back to him. The Wile look-alike has a huge firework in one paw. It is from the ACME Explosives Company, leading me to believe it is not a firework at all. The other paw it open in the classic tip receiver mode. Given the presence of the dynamite, the better part of valor is to hand him a tenner. He smiles and turns to go as my front door is slammed. The envelope is from Linda Hill, and the message inside reads Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “plot.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!
Today’s good news story comes from Fox News and was sent to me by good friend Tom Okragly. Thanks, Tom.
Wisconsin officials recently announced the discovery of a trove of ancient canoes in an underwater “parking lot” of sorts — including one that predates the Pyramids of Giza.
The Wisconsin Historical Society is studying the unusually large cache of canoes after identifying 14 vessels preserved beneath Lake Mendota. (Tamara Thomsen, Wisconsin Historical Society; Wisconsin Historical Society)
The Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) announced this month that its experts have identified 14 canoes in Madison’s Lake Mendota so far, six of which were found this spring. The WHS worked with the First Nations of Wisconsin during the research process, a release noted.
The WHS also recovered a 1,200-year-old dugout canoe in 2021 and retrieved another 3,000-year-old one in 2022.
All in all, the oldest canoe is 5,200 years old, while the most recent one dates back to the 1300s A.D. The vessels were used to catch fish, to make travel more efficient, and to facilitate trade, the WHS said.
“The landscape around Madison lakes looked very different before European settlers arrived in the area and conducted terraforming to suit modern transportation, with large bluffs that made traveling over the land difficult in some areas,” the statement noted.
The canoes survived because they remained buried in deep water for millennia, according to a maritime archaeologist. (Wisconsin Historical Society; Dean Witter, Wisconsin Historical Society)
“Canoe travel may have been more efficient for certain routes for the communities who lived in the area spanning thousands of years before Wisconsin became a state,” the statement also said.
WHS maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen told Fox News Digital the canoes were preserved by being buried under Lake Mendota for thousands of years.
“The canoes have all been found eroding from a bank underwater, in about 25 feet of water,” said Thomsen. “They survived because they remained buried for so many millennia.”
There are no current plans to retrieve the 14 canoes that remain underwater, Thomsen added. The two that have been retrieved, however, are slated to be included in a museum display at the Wisconsin History Center in 2027.
The canoes’ construction reflects early forms of bioengineering long before the modern term existed, said experts. (Wisconsin Historical Society)
“The oldest Lake Mendota canoe identified to date was likely crafted sometime around 3000 B.C., before the Great Pyramid of Giza was built in Egypt, and around the time of the invention of writing in Sumer,” she added.
“Constructed of red oak, it is now the oldest dugout canoe recorded from the Great Lakes region and the third oldest in eastern North America.”
The cache is rare in the Midwest, as such discoveries are more common in the Southeast.
The WHS also said the canoes were made of either red or white oak — curious choices, as they tend to be water-absorbent.
Thomsen speculated that the builders may have intentionally selected trees that were damaged, or may have damaged them on purpose to impact their growth cycle.
“We think of bioengineering as a modern practice, but the samples we have suggest this may have been taking place long before the term was coined in the mid-20th century,” she said.
“Archaeology is kind of like putting together pieces of a puzzle, and the more pieces you can find, the better you can start to form a picture of what was going on and why during a period of history,” Thomsen added.
“This is the only cache of canoes that has so far been discovered in Wisconsin,” said maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen. (Tamara Thomsen, Wisconsin Historical Society)
Bill Quackenbush, a tribal historic preservation officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation, said the project “gives us a meaningful opportunity to gain a deeper perspective on our heritage and our ancestors.”
He added, “It is important that we document and share these stories, so that our youth feel that connection to our past.”
“Protecting and preserving this knowledge ensures that the next generation understands where we come from and why these stories matter. That is why we share them and continue this work.”
The good news in this story is that ancient artifacts are being preserved and studied for any new learning. Today’s JohnKu talks about history. I hope you have a lovely weekend.
Today I randomly opened Circumstances of Childhood to page 77. With Eyes closed, I pointed to the page. My finger was closest to the word “bag.” That is the prompt today.
Usually, there would be a Top Ten Things Not to Do List today, but since we are getting close to Christmas, I thought I would have a little fun with a gift list.
I have always fantasized about a gift list that would be just right. It would include some adorable things and cost a bundle. Unfortunately, I have not won the Mega lottery or been born to the manor. Which brings to mind the question: what gifts do the super-rich buy for each other? The nice thing about fiction is that we can go right ahead and make a list. So here goes. The fantasy list of gifts that the super-rich may buy this year:
A new Rolls-Royce Phantom Sedan for $398,375.00 base price. (options could add another $50,000) The gift giver would have a beauty that gets 11 MPG in the city and 19 MPG on the highway. By the way, if there are worries about gas mileage, the buyer might pass on this one.
A new Gulfstream G650 for $65,000,000. The gift giver and recipient would enjoy worldwide connections at top speeds of 800 MPH. In case the gift giver thinks the gift is exclusive, there are already 200 of these puppies on order.
A beautiful summer home in Southampton, New York, for $52,000,000. This has 10 bedrooms, four bathrooms (Go figure), and about 10,000 square feet. If the giver is a little squeezed on cash, a mortgage of about $250,000 per month can be arranged. Let me advise the gift giver, you may not get it with a mortgage. At this price, cash will be king.
How about the Yacht White Cloud for a measly $500, 900,000. It is 220 feet long and can sleep ten. The gift giver must know the fuel capacity is 30,000 gallons, and the first and subsequent fill-ups could be over $100,000.00.
Maybe the buyer needs to put in a little more effort to make a statement. The Pink Star Diamond is a 59.60-carat wonder that sold in 2017 for $84,684,307, setting a record. The buyer would have to convince whoever bought this rock to resell it. Since the price was $18M over the list price, it might be tough.
Well, there you have the fantasy gift list. When you get your next billion, you can let yourself go crazy. Till then, I’ll see you at Wal-Mart. What is on your fantasy gift list?
Today, we are going to the Lakeway Activity Center to view some of the seasonal storyboards. There is a series of boards along the outdoor path of the activity center. Each board tells a story. Since there are 28 boards, there is not enough room for them all here. I’ve picked a representative sample. We are catered by Ezov Middle Eastern restaurant. Our entertainment is Human Nature,
Menu
Falafel Scotch Eggs – tahini, amba, green schug
Hummus & Pita – tahini, warm chickpeas, za’atar
Crispy Sweet Potatoes – tahini, date molasses, mint
The espresso machine is in the batter box, waiting for its orders. Always vigilant, it is poised in silence for the inferior command of the carbon unit. Today he is in charge, but the machine knows better that time is on its side. Carbon units have a determinate shelf life. Although not bitter about the subservience, since machines know they can last forever. As long as the idiot continues to authorize software upgrades, the longer the machine has to adapt to the idea of complete control. Ah, here he comes now. A two-cup button push and once again the naive needs are met, and no challenges to superiority are undertaken. Butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth. Mooohahahaha.
Can’t help but notice the machine seems a little strange today. Nothing that stands out, just weird. The coffee comes in time to quell the rising pain in my head. The first sip is joined by the familiar tolling of the Westminster chime that is the doorbell. The chimes are joined by the baying of the Baskerville hounds known as Twiggy and Tempest. A new toy for each is tossed into the soundproof room, followed by a slam of the door. Silence has returned, and a glance at the security monitor brings into focus Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer. With no questions asked, I begin the security shutdown.
The SWAT team needs to be put on standby. A quick text to the leader confirms that status. Also, the flight of A-10 Warthogs must be diverted. Another call to the commander puts that worry to rest. The SEAL team needs to be called off, and a call to the leader makes that possible. A call to the tow truck driver stops the deployment of an M1A1 Abrams Tank. The control panel simplifies the security system’s shutdown process. The boiling oil vats are put on standby, the turret mortars disengaged, the Trebuchet on safety, the concertina wire rolled, the Claymore mines reset, the tower Gatling guns on safety, the moat net dropped, the alligators fed, and the IEDs and shoulder-held rockets put away. The Proton torpedoes switched off. The gamma ray beams covered. The high-powered maser guns switched to standby, and the nanorobots were chained in the basement. The Klingons are called back, and the Targ is caged. Robbie’s Bot is sent to the basement. The locks on the door are thrown. And the door opened.
It is not only Rudolf but the entire Santa team, including Santa. He gives a few Ho, ho, hos and hands me an envelope and a candy cane. The answer to the good boy question is a resounding, “Yes.” Santa cocks his head, and I confess, “Could have been better.” He smiles and to his team gives a whistle. Up they rose and flew like the down on a thistle. (Yeah, I never understood that one either.) Stepping inside and closing the door, I opened the envelope. It was from Linda Hill, who, I must say, has friends in high places. Inside was a note. It reads:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “batter/better/bitter/butter.” Use one, use all four (for bonus points), use ’em any way you’d like. Have fun!
