Friday, November 17, 2017

Blue Sky Day


17 comments:

  1. listener--glad to hear there is no lead problem at Root Center Son's new-to-him house. As for asbestos, there are two general kinds--one with very hard fibers, which is particularly dangerous; and one with soft fibers, far less dangerous. Just about all the asbestos used in the US was the soft kind, because that's what we have; the hard kind was mined in (as memory serves me) France among other places. Containment is a very good strategy where possible--even such a simple thing as paint will do the job (but not in a spot with a lot of heat).

    Well, it's past bedtime for me. A second long day at work, still cleaning up the backlog from the lab that closed. We probably have several more days of that. The county coroner has about 200 cases backed up that we haven't yet received. Sixty to eighty cases is a pretty good day for us, and we have been running about twice that volume this week.

    --Alan

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  2. Alan thanks for the article on how ancient trees made themselves.

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    1. My pleasure, puddle. I thought that was rather out of the ordinary run of science stories.

      Alan

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  3. ‘A Spectacular Accumulation of Lies’[Click] By Michael Gerson[Click] Money quote: “President Trump and others in his administration are about to be hit by a legal tidal wave. We look at the Russia scandal and see lies. A skilled prosecutor sees leverage.”

    —Alan

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    1. I think this link[Click] to the original WaPo column should work; probably it depends on one’s browser.

      —Alan

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  4. Had my eye appointment today and my eye is fine and I don't have to go back.

    Got the broken garage door fixed on Wednesday and my car is back in the garage in case we get the threatened snow this Saturday.

    I am SO not ready for Thanksgiving!

    Oh, I signed on to get Christmas presents for a boy of 18 who lives in the shelter. We're not allowed to give food or candy. I don't know his size, and I don't know if he has a cell phone or access to any computers, etc. Any suggestions are welcome. They said we could get socks and a comb, but that doesn't sound nearly exciting enough. I thought maybe a watch, but that shoebox still seems pitifully empty to me.

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    1. Gee. Eighteen years old--a young man, not a boy. Watch cap, gloves, scarf sound good. Watch too.

      --Alan

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    2. Sewing kit sounds good, but someone needs to teach him how to use it. I wonder if there is a compact "how-to" pamphlet; sewing on buttons, patches, how to thread a needle, sew a ripped seam...a guy doesn't need to know a lot more than that to get by. There ought to be such a pamphlet.

      Alan

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    3. I don't know about that, Alan, but there is a cookbook called "A Man, A Can and A Plan" so that young guys can get a meal together when they're out on their own. Does that sound like a maybe?

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    4. Yes, that sounds appropriate. And how about a couple pair of boot socks?
      --Alan

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    5. Well you use self threading needle and type a page on sewing and put it in the cook book. I sent both my boys out into the world with a copy of Joy of Cooking, lol!

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    6. Good idea. I'll add that in too.

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    7. Self threading needle? Never heard of such a thing. I remember being old "Thread the needle, don't needle the thread." Just looked at that cookbook, Susan--it's really dandy! And from Rodale, no less.

      Alan

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  5. Winter hat, gloves or mittens, scarf, hair brush, books (comics mebbe), sewing kit, bag of marbles. . . .

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  6. Okay, so we're getting there with filling the shoebox: socks, a comb, the cookbook for guys, gloves and I will knit a neckwarmer and a hat for him. I made the neckwarmer for my son and he really loves it. Oh, and I will get him a watch too. Maybe some nail clippers? I'll check the suggestion list and see what else. A local dentist is donating all the dental supplies: toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.

    Okay, I'm unusually tired tonight, so I think I'll crawl into bed early.

    Thanks for all the suggestions - they did help.

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    1. Yes to the nail clippers.
      --Alan

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