Today was a day of discovery. I’m discovering things that were either left out by accident or dropped with the intention of picking it up before the snow. The stuff dropped with intention was/is mostly trash. Bits of paper, collapsed cardboard boxes and other detritus of a similar nature became visible for the first time in months. Found a hammer that I’ve looked for several times since last December. It was lying on top of a bright blue water drum next to where I had been pulling nails out of lumber retrieved from the land fill. Reason: Good pine lumber is very expensive in Alaska and for the price of my time (near worthless) I can get a $100+ worth of lumber that some contractor has tossed. In a few more days, most especially if it starts to rain, I’ll be able to move my ‘parts tractor’ to its’ new resting place. Then I can scavenge the parts I need to repair my ‘good’ tractor. After the tractor is repaired the real work begins. Gravel to be spread, garden dirt to moved and, most importantly, dirt removed from the big hole that will be the foundation for the addition to the house. I have “The Beast’ bed packed nearly full and am readying to haul it all to the landfill.. If it isn’t raining tomorrow, I’ll make that 25 mile roundtrip.

I spent a couple of hours putting away winter clothing. This led to deciding what else I need to donate to The Salvation Army. I have enough coats, hoodies and other winter gear to outfit a small army. What I don’t have is enough space to store all of the stuff. Some of the stuff still has the sales tags in it and some of it has been worn only once or twice. I’m sure that there is someone who will need it more than me next winter. Problem is local Salvation Army store is closed for the fake pandemic. Leaving it outside their Receiving door is likely to get it damaged, if it rains, or stolen. Neither case accomplishes what I want. SA making a little money and a needy person getting a good coat for a small price or free. It’ll wait,, I guess.

Another exciting thing to happen today was that the error code for no cold water came up on the washer as Summer was trying to wash and put away some winter clothing. Simple to fix but still a pain in the tush. Turn off the water, take off the hose, remove the little in line filter, clean of the little filter, reinstall the filter, reattach the hose, turn on the water and, finally, check for the leak and the stop it by tightening the hose more. Whew!!! I’m tired just writing about it.

I am still tasting and smelling things. I guess I’m still C-19 free. I’m social distancing. Not because I am obeying the illegal pronouncements of the local Communist government, but because I don’t know anyone to visit and I don’t need anything in town. Both reasons are by choice. Most people seem to be more trouble than they are worth. I’ve had two friends in my life my best friend and late wife, Connie and my 2nd best friend Bobby Cecil. Both of them are dead and I’m too old to have time to cultivate one for the 15-20+ years required to have an old friend. Not having more old friends is my own fault. I have just never had time or have taken the time to spend on things like making friends. Friends are time eaters and I’ve always felt the weight and pressure of time. I always felt that I might die any minute and I had stuff that I wanted to do before I died. Oddly enough I’m still feeling that pressure and now, at my age, I know my demise is imminent. Through the years, I have met thousands of people and have had dozens of acquaintances all of whom I sort of liked. The biggest problem, however, it that I am a major A-hole according to some people. People don’t like you to be sure of what you think and they certainly don’t want you to tell them what you think. I have often told people, “If you didn’t want my opinion why did you ask?” Also, “If you don’t like my opinion, you shouldn’t have asked.” I spent much of my life in sales. Sales people are supposed to be people persons. Over a few adult beverages most sales people will tell you just how much they detest much of the human race. I don’t know what got me onto this rant but I hereby declare it as finished as it is likely to get. “Now where did I leave that 1 1/8 wrench last fall?”

Was supposed to have rained today. It didn’t. They can tell you that the Earth will be 2 degrees hotter in 2090 but they can’t predict the next days’ damned weather. The temp was well above freezing (about 45F) and was almost short sleeve shirt weather. The snow is melting but not as quickly as it would if it would come a good soaking rain along with the higher temps. They are predicting rain for tomorrow, as well. We’ll see.

As more info on the C-19 “pandemic” comes available we are finding that it isn’t a “pandemic”. It has proven to be Ageist and Racist. In America, it is killing ‘Boomers’ and black people. Overweight and out of shape puts you in the crosshairs. Early on I heard it referred to as “The Boomer Killer”. This kinda pissed my off until I realized that I’m not a Boomer. I’m a War Baby. I was born during WWII so I think that makes me immune to “The Boomer Killer”. This is, perhaps, the greatest hoax ever perpetrated upon the world. We have allowed the destruction of the economies of virtually every Western Democracy and our own Republic. For what? The damned virus is killing people many of whom are already extremely ill and not long for this earth anyway. Those unfortunate people would have been better served by being able to see their families and have an economy that provided the necessary services to keep them alive. The hospitals are empty and thousands of them are trapped in some God forsaken nursing home that is locked down and with completely inadequate medical services. The lock down was to protect the public while it is causing the healthy among the nursing home residents to die. They’re dying uselessly and alone in some isolated, sterile room with nary a witness to their passing. My Grandmother Byrd always said, “Everyone dies alone”. BUT, I don’t think this is what she had in mind when she said that. It is time to stop this idiocy and get America back to work. This stupidity is killing healthcare professionals and the frailest among us because “We the people” are frozen with fear.

My America is fearless. What America do you live in?