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By Dave, April 10, 2008 10:51 pm

Went to pay bills today and to check out the books and other stuff at a few of the local thrift stores. Got a few good books, a tie (Italian silk Christien Dior) for $0.50 and pair of worsted (?) wool hand tailored trousers ($2.25) at the Salvation Army.

Headed on south and took a look at the stuff at the Salvage Store on Greenbriar, just west of 21. They have a lot of stuff but it’s mostly junk IMHO.

Then back down Noble to check out a new thrift store by Lott Cabinet shop that we had seen on the way south. No parking in front so since the parking lot at Lott was empty but for one truck we parked there. Got to the door of the thrift store and they had a sign saying if you had parked in Lott’s parking area, to move you car before coming in the store. We moved, right on down the road. I’m sure they have had problems with the cabinet shop owners or something but they need to be in a location that has some kind of parking instead of saying park across Noble in the grass by the train tracks. I don’t like crossing that street at a cross walk and there are none in that section of town… 👿

Went to Jacksonville and had a rather uninspiring meal at the China Starr. Will most likely be our last visit. Food was mediocre with limited quantities available and we were both dizzy by the time we left with the MSG. And have been all afternoon and evening. They must use it by the gallon now. Course with rubber chicken you need something to add flavor. 👿

Left and went to Center of Hope thrift store, looked at the posted prices on the books, turned and looked at each other, Cat said they are out of their minds, as I said they are f*&^%$# crazy, turned and left. 👿

Headed toward Anniston again to look at a couple of other places we had passed up wanting to get to lunch, but got to feeling worse so came home.

Will go out again tomorrow if the storms don’t keep us in. Guess we will head toward Gadsden, Attalla, and Rainbow City if we do go out. Several places over there that we like to browse around in.

Tis getting late and I am still uncomfortable from lunch, so think I’ll hit the sack and hope for a better day tomorrow. Till then… 😉

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By Dave, April 9, 2008 11:24 pm

Was a bit tired and sore from the day yesterday so didn’t do any more out and about the farm today but managed to spend the day doing stuff inside instead. Got an email from the Nero Wolfe mail list the content of which reminded me that I hadn’t updated WordPress on my Nero Wolfe site yet. So I go and do that. While there I realize that it’s been months and I STILL haven’t finished scanning the rest of the book covers and getting them uploaded nor all the other housekeeping things that have needed doing on that site. One of the problems with the scanning is that the computer that I use for that is in the wrong building. (See where this is going yet?) So I figure where in this already over crowded room I can put a computer desk and everything that goes with it. Move several boxes of books and shift several dozen others and a large coffee table and finally clear an area large enough to move in the computer desk. Once I clear it off. 🙄 Clean it off and get it moved, and the computer, monitor, scanner, and ups. Get it all hooked up and then realize that the ethernet is gonna have to be moved too. Duh. 🙄 No biggie as it turns out as I had already put another line in that was much too long and had coiled the extra up, just have to unhook it all as the coil is at the wrong end of the line. Gotta love the little challenges that life throws at you from time to time. Anyhow, that’s where most of the day went.

Ate supper then got out and stirred the fire from yesterday back into life and added some more scrap wood and broken limbs to it so maybe it will finish burning. Twas dark by then so came back in and scanned one book and figured out how to use the command line OCR program on the linux box. And learned a bit more about Gimp in the process of getting the pnm file to a true black and white so the ocr software will actually find the text instead of giving me a page of i’s and l’s and j’s. But now I can scan a page and only spend a few minutes correcting the mistakes 😀 instead of having to type it all in by hand. Bit by bit I think I’m getting closer. And I only have another 70 or 80 covers to scan in in the Wolfe series. 😯

It’s late and I am beat. Will see what the morrow brings when it gets here. Till then… 😎

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By Dave, April 8, 2008 10:06 pm

Made myself get out of the house a bit today. Walked over to the yard sale trailer to sort some more books out only to find that I had turned the power off last week for the storms adn had failed to turn it back on. So got the pickup (which I had also moved over there to prevent a tree from doing the nasty to it last Friday) and took a ride around the old Airsoft field. Still a big mess out there. The persons that are supposed to clear the mess up haven’t made much headway and today is one month to the day after the last game. Tired of waiting for them to get it in gear so I started cleaning up a bit. Loaded up the truck with bits and pieces in about an hour and called it a morning as I got pretty tired out.

Came back in and ate, then browsed a bit and mid afternoon went out and started a small fire and started burning some of the crap that I picked up. Unloaded most of the stuff in the truck and by supper time had the worst of it taken care of one way or another and was (and am) beat.

Came in and ate then got on the laptop and started downloading the latest Kubuntu beta with KDE 4 to try on the linux box. Decided to try Yellow Dog Linux on the iBook so went to the PCLOS machine and stated the download in there for it. Reason for the switch on downloading is the YDL disk is DVD and the iBook will only burn cd’s but the Linux box has a DVD burner in it. Anyway have got the Kubuntu disk done and am waiting for the YDL to finish downloading to burn it and try them both. Not gonna do any of it tonight though. Bed is calling. Will try to get another load of crap cleaned up tomorrow if I’m not to sore from todays bit. The morning will tell. Till then…

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By Dave, April 7, 2008 9:23 pm

Am feeling better but today was just not one of my productive ones. Did cook up a veggie, twice cooked pork and noodle dish for lunch and then made a chicken base soup with some of it for supper but that and some browsing was about the extent of my day. Hope to get out and do something tomorrow just not sure what direction I will be going in. Guess I’ll figure it out when I get to it. Am gonna finish my cup of Ovaltine and call it a night. Till tomorrow…

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By Dave, April 6, 2008 10:07 pm

Been another less than productive day. Browsed a lot and posted a few more things to the blog. Mid-afternoon we went to the grocery store and then by my folks house where we got a bunch of clippings from the scuppernong vines, he has in the back yard, to try to root so we can start some over here. After sitting and talking a bit Cat remembered we had frozen stuff in the van so we came home and unloaded and that was about it activity wise for me for the day. Have been browsing a bit and made a few more posts this evening after eating supper but am about worn out so am gonna call it a night and hope for a bit more energy tomorrow. Till then…

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By Dave, April 5, 2008 9:12 pm

After a rainy start the day got better but I stayed in a very do nothing mode.

Finally got up the energy to get a shower so decided to try out the olive oil for shaving. It worked (I guess) but with my year and a half old razer blade it took a while. Not much razer burn even though the stubble was a quarter inch long so guess it did it’s job. Will have to try it again Monday and see how it works with less hair. 🙄

Also decided to try out the baking soda instead of shampoo. That I like. Kinda strange not having the suds but it cleaned the hair and took very little to rinse out. Fewer tangles when combing afterwards too so am gonna use this rather than the store bought smelly stuff. I think that was what I liked best, no stink in the hair afterwards.

Not that late but am gonna read for a bit then call it an early night. Till tomorrow… 😎

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By Dave, April 4, 2008 9:57 pm

I spent most of the day getting through the last of the backlog of stuff in the feedreader, so this should be the last day with 20+ posts in a day for a while anyhow. 😉

Lots of storm warnings around here today. And quite a few storms came through too. Had a couple of close lightening strikes but no damage at least that I know of. Am glad that it’s fairly quite tonight. Hope it stays that way…

Think I am gonna call it an early night. Till tomorrow. 😎

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By Dave, April 3, 2008 11:03 pm

The pinball machine turned into one of those tar babies and is gonna be easier and cheaper to walk away from rather than continue beating my head into the wall. Power supply board fix worked fine but it has major computer problems that I am not gonna get into.

Saw looks doable but didn’t get anything done on it other than look at it. Tomorrow or the first of the week.

Morning was fine energy wise. Afternoon ended up spent sleeping on the couch. Phone woke me a little before 5 and I’ve been on the computer since. Been through somewhere over 1500 entries and read a few hundred of those. Still got a couple of thousand give or take a few hundred. But am getting closer to caught up.

Ribose is certainly doing something for me. Even with all the typing I have been doing this afternoon and tonight my hands and arms are not hurting. Has been YEARS since I have been able to go this long without them knotting up on me and saying NO MORE. That alone is worth the price but add in the ability to concentrate and think and it’d be cheap and 3 times the price. Only been on it for 4 days now so is really too soon to tell what the long term effects will be but for the first time in years I seem to be seeing a glimmer at the end of the tunnel and not hearing the roar of an oncoming train… 😎

Gonna skim a few more feeds and then call it a night. Till tomorrow… 😎

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By Dave, April 2, 2008 9:54 pm

Don’t know whether to credit the Ribose with my productivity or not but I do seem to be coming out of my do nothing but sleep or sit and read slump. So far it’s one day with 2 doses and 2 days with 3 doses. Seem to have less muscle pain and lots more mental clarity. If it weren’t for the pollen induced sinus headache I think I’d feel pretty good, and even with it I feel better than I have in months so guess it’s doing something positive.

Have started going through the enormous backlog of unread feeds and posting about a few of the more interesting (to me) ones. Downloaded 2 distros and burned them to cd. Fixed the power supply board for a pinball machine and read a bit. Not in that order. 😉 Still got over 3000 posts to scan to clear it all out but am gaining on them. I think there were over 5000 when I started. Haven’t read them all, just skimmed the more interesting stuff and deleted a lot including several feeds that didn’t live up to my expectations.

Looks like I’ll be out and about tomorrow. Got to take the power supply board and reinstall it in the pinball machine and see what else is gonna need fixed on it. Also got a cleanup and repair to do on a commercial radial arm saw that I will look at and see what the deal is on. So should be a varied day at the very least. Tis about time to call it a night. Till tomorrow… 😎

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By Dave, April 1, 2008 8:27 pm

Guess I’ve hit it too hard the last few days. Ended up inside all day and on the couch most of it. The time I have been up I’ve been cleaning up books, repairing books, and looking through software for selling books, so the day has been somewhat productive anyway. Will try for more tomorrow. Till then…

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By Dave, March 31, 2008 8:50 pm

Called Apple A Day this am and they have the D-Ribose in stock so we headed that way. Got there and got it. Nice helpful folks. Then since I hate to waste a trip we went to Goodwill, browsed, and got a few books. From there went to American Thrift Store in Rainbow plaza shopping center. Again browsed around, found a few books and I found a dress jacket that fits like it was tailored for me for $2.00! Ate lunch in the parking lot and I took my first dose of the D-Ribose. Then went to Eagle Rock Thrift Store and got some more books. And home we came after a short stop for groceries. I had a reaction to something at Eagle Rock which wasn’t pleasent but otherwise the trip went okay. Dropped Cat and the books and stuff off at the house, got my tools, scope, and cap tester at the yard sale trailer and went and worked on a video game monitor that the parts had come in for. Got it fixed, adjusted and reassembled without too much trouble. Also got the parts in for a pinball machine that I’ll get on tomorrow. Came home and Cat had supper ready so ate and took the second dose. Supposed to take 3 5 gram doses a day. Seems to have an effect on muscle pain and soreness within 30 minutes or so but it could be wishful thinking. From what I have read should take 10 days or so to have a noticeable effect. Will see how it goes.

For now am gonna go through some of the books we got today and then hit the sack Till tomorrow…

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By Dave, March 30, 2008 10:06 pm

Not that we really went anywhere but we did spend most of the day going from one place to the other. Started out by heading to Flamingo and Bill’s Flea Markets where we got a few books and wandered around hither and yon till we had seen all we could see. Then headed toward Oxford with a quick stop at Peddlers Paradise (which ain’t) for a quick browse and back in the van and onwards and south east wards to the Antique Mall out 78 east. Walked and looked and left without buying anything. Then went and parked by Oxford Lake and ate lunch and watched the ducks trying to bite the hands of the kids that were feeding them. After all that we could stand it was north to Jacksonville and a slow stroll through the antique mall there, again leaving with funds intact. Then the grocery store for milk, eggs and bread and home.

When we got in I unpacked a box of sea salt we got at Apple A Day health foods in Gadsden yesterday and found a newsletter that the guy had put in the sack and looked it over. Turned out there was an article on a supplement I had not heard of that seems to help with FMS and CFS with no side effects, called D-Ribose. I looked it up online and found quite a few sources for it so figured it would be available where other vitamins and supplements were, as in most drug and grocery stores. So after eating supper we loaded up in the van again and headed to Walmart in Jacksonville. No luck. Then tried WinnDixie. Nada. Down to Anniston and Walgreens. Another strike out. Last try was another drug store in Saks whose name escapes me right no but they had never heard of it either. So back home for the night. Will call Apple A Day tomorrow morning and see if they have it. If so will head over to Gadsden and get some and try it. Everything I have read so far sounds promising and makes sense from an energy point of view.

Long day driving and walking so am gonna hit the sack. Till tomorrow…

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By Dave, March 29, 2008 8:10 pm

Headed first to Goodwill in Gadsden this am. Found 3 books that were in good condition there then through to Attalla and spent several hours browsing through the Antique shops. Bought several books and a few other odds and ends. Cat noted the nasty looking clouds and we called it a day and came home. Got here and after checking the weather went to my folks house to get tomato and pepper plants. Sat and talked a bit till thunder ran us home again just in front of the rain. Cleaned up some of our plunder and ate then took a lie down with a book for a bit. Decided to get this out of the way and am gonna call it an early one in a few. Till tomorrow…

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By Dave, March 28, 2008 10:17 pm

Little done but lived through it. Which is better than the alternative I guess at that. Not sure what is on the agenda for tomorrow. Figure we will see when it gets here. Till then…

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By Dave, March 27, 2008 7:55 pm

Went to Oxford and spent most of the day working on an old electro-mechanical Super Straight (Poker) pinball machine. The owner had the manual and schematic (such as they are) which made it a lot easier but was still a real pain in the butt. It had been in a high moisture environment for quite a while (I’d say years) and most of the contacts were oxidized, as well as a WHOLE lot of the moving parts. Got most of it going and then it would start doing stupid things again. Work on it a while and get other things working and then it’d get stupid yet again. Finally figured out that it was a zeroing switch on one of the score units that was sometimes not making. Cleaned it and then the power in that part of Oxford went out. 😯 🙄 So I packed the tools up via flashlight and we came home. Gotta love stuff like that. Really wanted to give it one last check out but twas not to be. The customer is/was a computer tech from the punch card days so he should be able to finish it up should it need some other minor stuff but still…

Back is telling me I was on my feet too long today so am gonna eat then take a lie down. Till tomorrow…

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By Dave, March 26, 2008 9:29 pm

Got out and about a bit today. Checked out a piece of equipment and turned out it worked with the board reinstalled so didn’t have to do anything to it. Which also means that I didn’t make anything but a meal out of it. Came home and been either napping, reading or on the computer since. Hoping the parts come in fro another couple of pieces of equipment tomorrow so I can get them out. Will see. Till then…

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By Dave, March 25, 2008 9:26 pm

Still feeling quite a bit less than good most of the time. Did get up and out this morning and go to the yard sale trailer for an hour. Built a fire in the heater over there and puttered a bit moving books and stuff around. Came back over here to eat lunch and then just didn’t have the energy to do anything more so walked back over and closed it up for the day. Been sitting and going through feeds that I haven’t looked at in well over a month. Still got a lot of them to go but only so many I can sift through in a sitting. Hoping tomorrow will be a more productive day. Till then…

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By Dave, March 24, 2008 9:15 pm

Up this am, made coffee and oatmeal then slept till noon on the couch. Spent the afternoon after lunch reading. Cooked supper then back on the couch till my gut started hurting and got up and fixed a couple of pieces of toast with strawberry jam and ate them. Seemed to ease it up. Figure I will read a bit longer then hit the sack. Till tomorrow.

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By Dave, March 23, 2008 9:30 pm

Just not as fast of as long as the Energizer Bunny. Got up and spent part of the afternoon cooking in the 12″ Dutch oven. Started out with 6 chicken breasts. When they were done, which took about 50 minutes put a pork roast in and cooked it for around 2 hours. After taking it out put 8 potatoes and 2 onions in and let them cook in the chicken and pork juices till supper. Overall was some good eating and will be for several days. Then came back in and settled on the couch again with another book. Here’s hoping I have at least as much energy tomorrow. Till then…

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By Dave, March 22, 2008 8:45 pm

Another day on the couch. Pretty much all there is to say about it. Not sure what I/we are going to be up to tomorrow. Suspect it will be spent about like today. Till then…