Just Fixing Things.

It was still chilly this morning, but Ray and I worked with the rain drizzling outside, and the shop doors open. It was the kind of rain where you could rush to the shed to get something and not have to take an umbrella.

We got the Haier dishwasher put back together as a portable, as we had it plumbed into my kitchen until I bought the better one, the Danby. Now it is moved to the "For Sale Dept." in the RVport, so that got it out of the workshop.

I had found a hose that I thought might fit the little Oreck canister vacuum that lost it's hose after the time I paid for it, and before it got in the car. Even when I went back to the resale shop to get the hose, it had never turned up, so they refunded my money and told me to keep the vacuum. The hose fit with a little modification, so that is fixed now. But I am going to put it in the yard sale, as I found a little tiny upright, almost a broomstick, that will do in the grooming room. I had a big awkward shop vac in there for years, and I always disliked it because the exhaust would blow the cut hair everywhere before it could be sucked up, so now I can put that in the "For Sale" Dept., too. Our favorite shop vac around here is the one that the exhaust blows upwards, but the switch has got to be fixed on that. Always something!

We found a leak on the screen porch, and ascertained where it was coming from, so we can fix that, when it isn't raining. Bobbiecat just loves to sit in that corner, but her blankie was getting wet. We have all the parts to make Bobcat a bigger bed for the porch, but the leak is right over it, so we didn't make the bed yet. The one she has now does not give her enough room to lay down stretched out.

Ray sanded a painted side table that is for sale, but it was really too humid to re-paint.

More quotes:

"The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again." -George Miller.

"I don't think it is so much the actual bath that most cats dislike; I think it's the fact that they have to spend a good part of the day putting their hair back in place." - Debbie Peterson

"A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theatre admission and the babysitter were worth it." - Alfred Hitchcock

"Housework is something you do that nobody notices until you don't do it." - Anonymous

Just a dreary, damp 'fix it' day

Ready for North Winds. AZ Trails. Sales Ads.

Another day that started out cool, but soon the cats were sunning themselves on the screen porch, watching the birds at the feeders.

There was a hilarious birthday party for Nat in the RV-Dreams Chat Room last night, and even the 'Chip and Dales' showed up!

This morning, Ray and I got my attic prepared for the cold winter northerly winds that hit the back of this house on a hill. All my plumbing is up there, so I try to keep it buffered. We screwed board insulation under the attic vents inside the roof, and on the outside soffit vents. The attic can breathe from the south until next Spring. That also helps keep the dog room warm, as the attic stairs are in there.

The motorhome needed sorting out, as I had taken a lot of things out of it to go on the trip to Arkansas to get the Mirage. When I unpacked the Mirage, the stuff was put in boxes in there, so those had to be unpacked. As I am going through all the cupboards to sort them out, it isn't done yet. Too many dishes, etc. The spice rack needed a little sliver cut off the side, as for some reason the coffee maker wouldn't fit in the corner next to it. We saw several other things that need attention, too. Like, one cupboard won't shut right.

If you are looking for something specific, here is a site that has the weekly sales: http://www.salescircular.com/

So many RVers are headed for AZ right now, that I though this might interest you: http://www.aztrail.org/

More airline quotes:

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From a Southwest Airlines employee: "Welcome aboard Southwest Flight 2 to DAL. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."
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In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child pick your favorite.
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Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Southwest Airlines."
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"Your seat cushions can be used for flotation; and, in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."
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"Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will drop down from the overhead area. Please place the bag over your own mouth and nose before assisting children...or other adults acting like children."
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"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses."
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It started to rain, and will tomorrow, that is why I start the yard sale today.

Eagle Mountain Landfill, Near Joshua Tree. Is it Good Or Bad?

It started out chilly, but the sun soon warmed things up, so that the cats could spend some outside time on the screen porch. Prime would rather be in the house though, and pretty well stick close to me. She never asks for anything, just quietly lays, or 'laze', around. But when she and Patches are together, I often see Prime washing Patches like she is her kitten.

I still can't get my pictures to sync from Picasa 3 to Web Albums, like many others on Picasa's Help forum, so I was looking for an alternate place to keep pictures. I spent ages uploading them, so while that was going on, I was checking emails on my laptop, and doing various jobs around here.

One bit of information that I found out was concerning Eagle Mountain, which is surrounded on three sides by Joshua Tree National Park:

"NPCA has scored a landmark victory in a long-term battle to protect Joshua Tree National Park from what would be the nation's largest garbage dump--the Eagle Mountain landfill! The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently handed down its decision invalidating the land exchange needed for this massive dump to proceed. NPCA has been fighting the proposed landfill--surrounded on three sides by Joshua Tree National Park's wilderness--for more than a decade. The nation's largest garbage dump on the doorstep of Joshua Tree National Park is just a bad idea all around. Development of the Eagle Mountain landfill would threaten the long-term survival of wildlife such as desert bighorn sheep and the desert tortoise; cause light pollution and air pollution that would impair our ability to see stars while camping at Joshua Tree; and destroy the solitude of the wilderness."

I did a bit of looking around, and the mountain is already scarred from mining, click to enlarge, if you wish.

It looks like Eagle Mountain is quite a long way from the Joshua Trees, and that the Big-Horn sheep and tortoises have plenty of space to roam. But I have never been there, so I cannot judge, but I'd like hear from folks who have.

Apparently they have already built a railroad to carry trains of garbage to the proposed landfill. It obviously would not have been built through the park. The millions of tons of garbage that is created, has to go SOMEWHERE, and these landfill people usually a keep the land a lot better looking than a mining company.

"The Coachella Valley Preserve and Painted Canyon--two natural areas near Joshua Tree National Park that are along the San Andreas Fault system, and display many features about the geology and natural history of southern California. "

"The Eagle Mountain Landfill is located on 4,643 acres of land in Riverside County. The Eagle Mountain Landfill has a total capacity of 708 million tons allowing the facility to operate for over 100 years at a maximum of 20,000 tons per day. The landfill footprint will eventually encompass 2,164 acres of the property. The Eagle Mountain Landfill is fully permitted to receive residual solid waste by rail from Southern California. However, the purchase of Eagle Mountain Landfill by the Sanitation Districts and its eventual operation are contingent upon successful resolution of pending federal litigation. From: http://www.lacsd.org/info/waste_by_rail/default.asp

"Today, 11/10/09, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a previous District Court ruling that the federal land exchange that was at the heart of the landfill project was done improperly. This is a major blow for those wanting to build the landfill and I now doubt that they try to continue the project since it would almost be like starting all over again. So, this most likely means the Eagle Mountain Railroad has seen its last train and I my guess the tracks will be abandoned and pulled up sometime in 2010. Look forward to seeing waste trains running from Puente Hills to the Mesquite Landfill near Glamis, but not Eagle Mountain. What will actually happen to Eagle Mountain and its railroad is unknown as those parties in charge will have to make decisions about there fate in the coming months. I hope that if nothing else, they can save the mine and townsite as an historical site since its a prime example of a 20th Century company town."

Now, this fellow likes to visit there regularly, and he took some lovely pictures:

http://www.kolbykirk.com/news/2009/03/24/joshua-tree-trip-report01/
I am sure if someone was wanting to mess around with the ecology there, he would be up in arms about it.

The Big Horn sheep and tortoises could stay away from the railroad tracks. The moose got used to the Alaska Pipeline, where would we be without that? Sometimes we have to encroach upon nature to keep us all going. I am all for preserving nature, but the garbage of those that don't recycle, and just throw stuff out willy-nilly, has to be catered to, too. The land is already messed up, so maybe the landfill would fix it.

Now, if the trains and tractors are going to cause noise pollution in the park, that is a Big Horn Sheep of a different color.

Just my thought for the day.

MaeMae Done. Veterans.

Another cold day to start out, but it was in the 60's in the afternoon.

I finished grooming MaeMae, so took her down to Claudia's. We went over our health plans as we can change between now and the end of the year.

We spent some time fiddling with her laptop. It was loaded with several space eating programs that she never used, and didn't even have a Firewall in it. I was wondering why she didn't know how to do this herself, as she used computers most of her life, then found out that they used Macs. I don't think I have ever even seen a Mac!

Jay was there, and in a disruptive mood, so we sent him to his house next door.

Here are some of the articles about the veterans that I saw the other day: http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/one_homeless_veteran_is_too_many
Poor Dale, a vet should not have to live like that.

http://war.change.org/blog/view/americas_veterans_deserve_a_healthy_homecoming
This one is to help the terrible circumstances that vets have to face when they get back to the country for which they fought for it to be free. The changes that should be made.

http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/united_nations_says_us_has_shamefully_neglected_its_homeless
Even the United Nations has a say.

We must honor our vets, of every war, not just on Veteran's Day.

Grooming MaeMae. Trying to fix my Picasa

Not much to say today.... Oh, Golly, I heard a resounding HOORAY !!

But I will post some funny airline announcements for you, instead, so you can skip to the bottom!

Another chilly day, with no rain. The sun was out, so the cats enjoyed time on the screen porch

Ray wasn't going to be here today, so I got engulfed in ordering clipper blades on the computer, and didn't start grooming MaeMae until later than usual. That bit me in the arce later on. I was thinking that MaeMae was going to be here another night so I could finish her in the morning. Wrong! Claudia came to pick her up late this afternoon. So MaeMae is here tonight after all.

I had spent a lot of the afternoon going through all the Help sections of Picasa, trying to find out why I can't sign in to Picasa Web Albums from Picasa 3. Until I can do that, I can't save my recent pictures in the Web Album. If something happens to this computer, I will lose what is in here. Some I just wanted to store in the Web Album, and make a bit more space in this poor old 1 GB computer! I will just have to try to use my external hard drive again.

All too rarely, airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight "safety lecture" and their other announcements a bit more entertaining.
Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:

On a Continental Flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."
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On landing the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all your belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have."
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"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."
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"Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
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As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Washington National, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"
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After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Memphis, a flight attendant on a Northwest flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, you can bet everything has shifted."

Have a safe day.