Dio's WorkshopWelcome to my brain. It’s messy. It’s interesting. And it’s all connected if you stick around long enough. "Believe Nothing: no matter who said, even if I have said it, except it agree with your own reason and common sense. Siddhartha Guatamo, the Buddha.
somehow, we have MORE muslim ‘cells’ in this country than we did.
We have a section of Texas that is vying for Muslim Majority.
Somalia-land up North with a Congress-critter that claims her soul purpose is to protect the interests of Somalia.
The Mental Spirit this country had for such a short spell is very hard to find these days. The Fact that the events of that horrible day were twisted around to create laws to “Protect” the people of this country, but in actuality restrict and oppress,,,
I recall my sister and Hubby waking me up and showing me the vids (this was before the second tower fell) and I thought “Heres the turning point in history”: and I wasn’t wrong on that note, just wrong in the directions.
Recall in your memory all those that fell in those towers and all those that fell in the sandboxes fighting the GWOT. I’ll keep my opinion of that to meself today so as to not sully the dead.
a little rough. Felt hungry all day, water only alleviated that feeling for minutes,,,
Energy levels were stable though. Just keep drinkin’ the H20 and push on through.
Home, scale check, 198# 10 pounds in four days, and 6 just since yesterday. I knew it would be a rising ramp, not a linear one: Kinda shocked to see it ramp up that quickly. But then, I was working, and not just welding stuff, where I do more standing,,,
Still don’t feel tired, but definitely feeling the cravings for things. Stopping at the grocery for MamaKats DedKow, temptations were everywhere. Put on the virtual blinders, got what I needed and checked out. FAST,,, This operation isn’t over with yet.
Fact, I want to see a 30# drop. I want to be back in that 180ish range. (thats another 20# to go,,,, IF todays performance is anything to go by, that should be doable.)
Oh,,, and for those that are considering this, I should forwarn you that going to the bathroom is not your usual trip. The smells of the stuff my body is dumping ain’t societally friendly, if you get my meaning. Window open and air freshener in hand,,,
To answer Spuds question in comments: Nothing. If I were going for longer than 7 days, yes, I would be looking at something to keep the gut in the loop more. The guys that go for weeks suggest colon flushes and belly massage while doing such. One of my markers I check each day is “BM”, not much coming out but what is coming is rilly gross,
Yeah,,, I’ma bettin’ that wasn’t something you ever thought you would read on this blog, eh? ROFL. Sorry, not sorry. Its just information on your end. Quite a bit more olfactory oriented on mine.
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sub post: It’s ALWAYS something simple.
Been chasing down a ghost of a problem with one our powered gates. This one in particular is well out of warranty, but didn’t start acting up until the Owner had replaced the main battery. Thats when we got the call. (yes, some of our gates run on batteries, and do it very well.)
Water-proof is a concept, NOT A FACT. This gate has two openers, for a double swing. One of those arms had to have a cable spliced in during install to make the reach. I used marine crimp connectors and Heat shrink over those and wrapped all of that tight. 4 years: it worked perfectly for 4 years. I cut into that splice area today (it was all that was left to check really) and water burst out like I was squeezing a grape. Stripped off all the coverings, dried the stuff out by draining and using a heat gun, re-did the Marine connections, and checked to see if that was the ticket.
BINGO!!! heat gun to shrink all the connections and heat shrink, re-wrap the whole and locate to a sligtly higher elevation than it was when I first installed it. Customer happy, Me happy, SonofBossman happy.
Seriously, I was starting to question my sanity with this gate; NOTHING made sense, even the support people were saying that after 3 hours of walking me through checks, most of which I had already done ( I learned a couple more.) I showed up this afternoon and met the Secretary for the place and told her ‘I brought the holywater this time’ and she was ‘You probably need it with that beast!’
So, yeah,,, even marine type fittings will eventually get water inside. Water and electricity, They get along fine, but what the electricity is for gets neglected while the electrons have a fling with good ol’H2O.
FYI, I am quite aware of the Hullabaloo about cute girl in Charlotte getting knifed by Concrete Gorilla. My thoughts on that are varied, but I think there is enough vitriol flying about without my adding to the heat.
Only one thing I MUST SAY; ALWAYS BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. Young lady made a big mistake by her actions and not paying attention. Or as Sarah put it.
Woke up rarin’ to go!! Beat the alarm, and was sorta wired BEFORE I got the coffee goin’. Felt flippin AWESOME!!!
Interestingly enough, it felt like time was slowed way down. My mind was moving so fast, my time perception was thrown way off. Felt like I had done 3 hours worth of work and only an hour had passed. Crazy eh?
Energy is lagging a bit though. I was worn out by 1pm. Ok, not ‘worn out’ but I was feeling a little drawn thin in energy levels. Expected, yes. No headache today. No cheating today, but I can say this: driving past BurgerKing was torture!!! Those whoppers smelled so damned good to me today. NOT YET!!! A few more days of this yet. And my ‘re-feeding’ meal will be stuff I prepare, fresh stuff, GOOD stuff, not fast food loaded with God only knows what,,,
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Batteries came in early, around 10ish. Looked good, not dents and banged up boxes. Came home and did that install, which was easy-peasy UNTIL I had to decode the user manual to set the controller to Lithium batts. Chinesium translator please,,, Once you figure out what the Chicoms meant by their codes within the controller (it has only so many charaters it can display so they ‘code’ everything.) it was pretty easy.
Did everything acccording to directions, power is back on the house, controller is charging the batts, and life looks good.
Total weight of these batteries is 97#
The ones I took to the recycler after the fact. 219#
HUGE difference!!! Fact: I know the weight listed in the buy page, but when I picked up that first box, I almost launched the thing. Was totally expecting the weight of a L/A FLooded type. And these won’t gas off like an L/A will: less corrosion on the terminals. So far the house seems to like the new addition. I will watch closely for a couple months to see what, if any, quirks these have.
Pros: 10 year estimated lifespan vs 4-6 for L/A’s, a proper charge controller can push those lifespans to maximum. (or even beyond in some cases, as I found out with my first set of L/A’s)
Cons: no current recycling system in place. The guy/gal that comes up with that is gonna make BANK.
Price wise, the units I bought are similar in cost to L/A’s. You can buy more expensive units, and they might even be better made, better materials, or something. I ain’t made of money and those ‘battle tested’ models start at OMG and just go up. And looking at the numbers on the units, the only difference I could spot was on the price tag. I can’t say one way or the other, just my observation without hands on useage. Until I could run seperate tests, I say, go with what the pocket book allows: and thats just what I did.
For the curious, I don’t run a ton of power needs. 4-100Ah batteries gets me through fairly well. The only times I have had issue was when those batteries failed in some way. Like the recently replaced ones. Looked good, measured good, but certainly were not holding 100Ah worth of juice. That I lost power one night after a minimal use day told me they were failing and it was just a matter of time before total failure. So here I am, a bit more in debt, but the electric bill is paid up for a few more years.
tomorrow is hump day. one day closer to the weekend. One day closer to the end of this fast. One day closer to what is probably going to be the best tasting meal I have ever had. (So others have said. And I can see that with the “hunger makes the best spice” meme.)
The hunger pangs weren’t intolerable, but the day made things BAD. Managed 10 hour workday, dealing with a grumpy gate controller (still not fixed! dangit!) and most of that in the sun. Drinking mad water and took to pinches of salt to help keep the electrolytes up: still had a pounding headache on the return to shop.
That makes for a muddle-headed day, and today I needed the clear head. So I ended up cheating a little: one of those little Mexican Coca-colas and some hard salami. May have equaled 200 calories total, but man, the effect that had on my headache was amazing.
home: scale shows I shed 2 pounds since this AM. I’m not going to call that ‘fixed’ or good, as that may have been water weight, and I had been doing some sweating. BUT, every little bit counts, right? That headache thing may have been hydration, though I kinda doubt it. I drank 4 large bottles (48 oz) through the day, but I have never done a fast before so I can’t say for certain HOW MUCH water you burn through when you go into ketosis. (and I was, funky breath told me so.)
So, yah, I cheated, but the small amount I ate will digest fast, and I’ll be back in fasting mode before I go to bed. Keep rolling on.
I picked on hell of a week to stop eating,,, (even temporarily).
More laters,,, Haven’t had time to catch up on the day in the world. More like catching up here at home and with SIs, which is FAR MORE IMPORTANT that a bunch of poly-tickians.
added note: My new batteries for the house will be here tomorrow. I may not post till way late, if at all tomorrow.
Made it to church,,, Water was exceptionally blue today, clear to around 15′ best I could tell. It drops deep fast in this lake. Water was warmer than the air by a few degrees, both above 60. Nice clear skies, gentle winds not gusting hard: good paddle sesh!!!
Guess I’m gonna let the kat out of the bag. What I mentioned in yesterdays post, without spillin’ it. I’m trying a 7 day fast. Not for weight ‘reasons’ perse, but due to aspects of the weight I am carrying. AND to do a physical ‘reset’: I’m pushing for the autophagy aspects, to clear out all the crap built up inside,
And I am strugglin’ right now. I’ve been a Coca-cola addict for years and lord are the cravings driving me batshit today. Honestly, if I can cut those out for a week, I could easily see me staying OFF of them post fast. Thats really the hardest part for me so far. Hunger? meh,,, drink some water or black coffee. (allowed in a water fast, just no sugar or cream.) That coke fiend in me is in full rebellion.
And that is why I am pushing this. Years of all that sugar is starting to ‘bear fruit’: a big ugly fruit around the middle that is spreading. I DO NOT LIKE THAT. And no, it’s not Vanity: I don’t like how I feel, or that it’s a struggle to bend at the waist, and a number of other things. I gotta change some things, and me, being me, Go full bore, no holds, (if I waffle on that, the discipline slides hard and fast.) SO, the notes I am keeping are wieght, obviously, but things like BP, heart rate, Blood O2, and some subjective things, How I feel on three fronts, 1-10 rating: three fronts being physical, emotional, mental clarity. And I already have my ‘break’fast meal lined up and waiting. Thats there for the ‘just in case’ event of dizziness or sudden hypoglycemic episode; and the actual end of operations, of course.
Man, I REALLY want a coca-cola,,, GRRRRRR
Did it to meself, I did,,,, Heck, just cutting them out will probably have more long lasting benefits than anything else. I already eat ‘mostly’ healthy. Have been doing the OMAD thing for years before it was even a thing, (One meal a day) with few exceptions> (usually when I’m with friends does that get blown up.) And no, I won’t ever drink the ‘sugar free’ shit. Sugar is bad enough and the chemical barrage of the sugar free shit would send my liver and kidneys into early retirement; I’m still in need of those organs,,,
Anywhooos,,, coke fiend withdrawals beside the point, I’m doing good, so far. Not craving food yet, but its only been 24 hours (give or take,,, Last meal was Satyrday eve.)
What a way to start my 57th year orbiting Sol, eh? Better now than never I guess.
And it’s still early in the process. I can feel small changes already, like energy is low, but stable. Thats to be expected when a body is used to running on high fructose corn syrup (the Coca-cola.) Shouldn’t take long for me to burn through that and start getting into the fatzone (usually within 36 hrs) THEN, comes the real goal.
SO, thats the silly kat I had cooped up in a bag yesterday. Was gonna hold off till it was over and give the full report, with my notes. BUT, that can still be done, Just wanted to vent ‘out loud’ and smack that Coke-Fiend around a bit before it ‘won’.
Not KOLD mind you, but 64 degrees in early September is ‘odd’. And when you are acclimatized to nearer 100, yah, sweatshirts are the thing,,,
Has a thing goin’ on right now, and I want to talk about it, but, then again, Don’t wanna,,, I’m thinking this is going to be an after the action sort of confession, not prelims and such. More on that later, and believe me, TAKING MAD NOTES.
Secondary page: I think I lanced that boil. Haven’t had a thing to add to it in almost two weeks. Make of it what you will, but I am at peace with what I wrote. There is one aspect I still hold close, but only because its a hot button in the world these days. Doesn’t change my take on it one bit, but I do like having somewhere I can vent and some things said could shutter this place against my wishes.
Still nothing much to talk about. Another of those moments where I sit to write and “we have already talked about this, from 20 different perspectives and,,,,” And the muse goes quiet. Then i sit here looking at blank screen with a half-assed title, try to rework the title to re-interest the muse, and “I gotta headache” from Muse,,,
Nada, nadafuggin’thing,,, SOrry all, its just that time of year and I know from reading other pages, I ain’t alone. Blog slump along with so many other slumps in season; like the J.O.B. slump
This is my birth month and I have never liked it. Not because of the birthing thing, but due to other factors. Like currently at the J.O.B.,,, slow down time since everybody and their cousin are dealing with ‘Back to School’ and shifts in programming scheduling: they tend to NOT want work done around their places at times like such. So, we experiance this lull in work.
Add in Shit tons of rain and foul weather, Holiday daze,
Weak Week to say the leasts. only sitting on 15 hours and tomorrow is payday,,,, BLECH!!!!
I can say, I saw it coming and made pre-emptive actions accordingly. Already paid 3 of my 6 bills for the month and can slack a little if need be (that is to say, not pay AS MUCH as usual, but still more than minimum.)
I just don’t like this month,,, Things start the fall shift in this month, really gaining speed in October, but you can see them now. I’ve always been a spring/summer soul, and the ‘little death’ of fall winter always makes me a little melancholy, even depressed at times. Yah, yah,, I know “to everything a cycle of seasons” and all that, but that don’t mean I hasta like it!!! (and thing I miss from SoCal,, There were seasons, but the shifts were so subtle to this northern boy, that it may as well have been year long summer to me.)(Chances of return to SoCal? NIX-NIL, NEIN! Until that area can get its collective shit together and oust the eaters in the north OUT, and fix things,,,,)
Yup, Northern boy by birth, but no place I can say I ever really felt I belonged. Southern Pride, I get it, But I haven’t any, or not enough to claim Dixie as my own. Hell, I’ve been the rolling stone for far too long, never finding that comfort zone. Out west was the closest and coastal was almost right, but I was still running on adrenaline and testosterone then: No time to settle. (and note, I didn’t and still have no love of LA, I was Orange County where people still had some semblance of sanity.)
Only one facet of comfort has ever been the common denominator: WATER. Has to have the water near at hand or I am lost,,, Phoenix as a trial for me the year and half I lived there. Only thing I found enjoyable there was the heat, but seeing stagnate water sitting in the drainage canals depressed the everloving shit out of me. Yes, thats what those canals in that city are, DRAINAGE, because when it eventually rains there, that water has to go somewhere. Thats why you see bridges in the middle of the desert: Flash Flooding is no joke.
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Last night as I was laying down, the smell of rain coming through my window was heavenly. One of my favorite lakes has the best smelling water I have ever experianced: almost that sharp tang of chlorinated water, but without the chlorine bite. My sister experianced that when she went kayaking with me the once. It can’t really be descibed, must be ‘in person’ to get the power of it. CLEAN is what it advertises, not the slightly fishy smell of most fresh water tribs.
I love the smell of saltwater too. Not the tidal spills of the southern coast of the lower 48 so much, but the actual saltspray of the coast. The tidal spillsI tend to have a sewage smell to them; one recalled well from my days on Parris Island; with all its attending memories LOL Nothing like a 20 mile boots and utes with full gear hump on a lowtide morning: some waste water treatment plants smell better.
I guess thats why coast front property is so damned expensive while the tidal property is ‘easier’ (though still outrageous compared to my current digs.)
My absolute best memory of coastal living was in North Carolina. I rented (off season) 1/2 a duplex on Emerald Isle while I was in ‘school’ at Courthouse Bay (Camp LeJuene). Had a wife and kid that wanted to stay with me and the school had no facilities for a punk ass PFC and his kin, so I was granted a small priviledge. Still had to maintain my barracks status, but I digress. That house was on coast line (beach front at that) exactly east west. I could catch sunrises over the water in the morning, and sunsets over water in the evening. It only worked out that way in the winter months, but it was frellin’ AWESOME.
And I didn’t know kayaks then,,, sigh
of all my regrets, and I have a few, finding kayaking so late in life is one. There is so much to learn about such a simple boat, and a younger me would have explored that realm so much easier than this over the hill beat up carcass I am hauled around in now. Can’t change history like that, can we?
Up north, the Inuit will shortly begin putting up the boats for the year. I won’t, but I will be pulling out the gear for cold water immersions. I may never need it for that, but it does keep my warmer and drier than my summer stuff. Even with this having been a slack year for kayaking, I still fly with a boat in the racks. You just never know when that moment will hit.
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As you can tell, I haven’t much to talk about right now. The whole poly-ticks scene is right out as it makes not one lick of sense. The economy scene is right out as well since we are now in the gravitational pull of currency implosion. (Look around, you’ll see the signs if you ignore what you are being told vs what is actually happening.) Most of the news is pure distraction as is, and I don’t even want to dive into the rabbit hole of the mulit/fluid gendered insanity. Yes, its INSANITY and I refuse to see it as anything but now. I do pity those that were sucked in, but I despise those that sold that bill of bads.
I’m just trying to get along in life and get myself into a position where I can make a move when such time allows. Where, dunno, don’t care, just want it to happen smoothly, and that requires much simplification on this end of it. “emptying the cup” again, trim the fat, lighten the load.
I’ll try to find something less down and maybe more ‘life’ oriented for my next post. Y’all take care.
It was the early part of the Tweens when the political divisions of the United States reached irreconcilable differences. Ted, a burnt out computer programmer, and Jim, a double amputee combat vet, reverse engineer the pentagons drone program and create a rebel air force. While traveling the country helping others defend what is left of the country, they run afoul a most evil woman intent on creating a serfdom within the country.
A beginner’s guide to going off grid. how to evaluate if you even want to make the attempt. written by the curmudgeonly author of this blog and his dog
Dio's Workshop 