Good Bye June...

Today is the last day of the month, so long June.  This marks six months down & only six remaining in 2011.  This month is going out with a heat wave.  Most likely we'll top a 100 F again today.  We passed that for heat index by 10:00 AM.

It's hard to be into anything or do anything in that kind of heat.  We did some cooking this morning & that was about it.  Besides writing this & taking a shower, my tasks for the day are nearly finished.  

It looks as if the heat is heading right into July with no sign of it letting up.  The summer is already hard.  It's looking pretty dim for any chances of real rainfall.  The fields around our area, are just tinderboxes waiting for a spark.

Oh well, so long until next year, June

Cya

Sorta Sucky...

Again, not up to another long post.  Went to the dentist yesterday.  The drive was very tiresome.  Even with the AC on the car never got that cool.  I got behind every damn, I want to drive slow ass, in the world.   I left an hour early for my appointment.  It is only a 35 mile drive, yet I was almost late & the majority of the drive is on a 65 mph highway.

The appointment went alright for me, my roommate stayed out in the car & fried.  I finally got out & started getting ready to go.  She was hot & I was trying to hurry to get us on the road so the AC will actually do some good.  I put it in reverse & before you can "oh damn" there' a crash.  

I didn't see the car behind me when I got into my vehicle.  I don't know if the woman was backing out of a space or pulling into the lot, but I backed into her.  Luckily I was just idling out when we collided.  Not much damage that I could see, mainly just paint transfer & a couple of scrapes.  She said she'd been hit there before.

So I went back into the dentist office & copied the insurance papers & we went our separate ways.  I doubt the cops would've even came to a minor accident in a private parking lot.  Hopefully, she doesn't try to screw the insurance company.  Then it'll just come down on us.

Oh well, hopefully the rest of the week will be better,

Cya

Cleaning Time...

Not going to do much of a post today.  I have a midday dentist appointment.  I have to get my teeth cleaned & examined for my six month interval.  I am fortunate that I like my dentist.  I'll just leave with a song that doesn't inspire one to go to the dentist.

Get Tested...

Today is National HIV Testing Day in the US.  Unless you're a virgin, you should get tested.   And one time is not enough.  If you are a sexually active person then you need to tested routinely.  

I am not going to post much more today except to say that I had been tested, but obviously not enough.  You need to keep getting tested up to 18 months past your last sexual encounter.  I had been tested six months after & it was negative.  During the next year I started getting sick.  Over the following months, I became nearly bed-ridden.  Finally, I was in the ER & they retested me & I was +.  It had been well over a year since my last test, that had shown negative.  

Get tested regularly.

Angry Cats, It's Not A Game...

Today was the weekly spray down of the cats.  We have come up with a concoction that albeit doesn't kill off the fleas for good, does take out the ones on the cat & the eggs.  However, it stinks & they hate it with a passion.  They hate the sound of the sprayer, they hate being sprayed & most of all they hate the spray.  

The spray is a mix of about a half ounce of leave-on, instant kill, flea shampoo, a few drops of dawn dish washing soap, 3/4 cup of apple cider vinegar & topped off with water in a 24 ounce spray bottle.  The mix is not strong enough to instantly kill the fleas.  That ratio was too rough on the cats.  But this ratio will kill the fleas within an hour.  

The vinegar acts as an antiseptic & an anti-itch.  Usually before the spraying they are scratching.  Often at just places on their skin, because two of the cats have a flea allergy.  Once sprayed, they howl.  The vinegar does sting.  However, within a few minutes of the spraying, the cats calm down.  They often fall into a deep sleep.  Which is good, because the flea allergy often keeps them too itchy to sleep well.   

A few hours later, they come out, mostly dried & groomed.  They give us evil glares, but are for the most part calmed down & relaxed.  It isn't fun doing the spraying, but it's easier than full out bathing. It seems far less taxing on us & the cats to do the spraying.

Oh well, until next week, the spraying is over.

Cya

Being Practical...

We try to stay practical about most things.  We don't have a lot of choice, we don't have a lot of $.  One of the things we do, is to try & keep with maintenance of our appliances & electronics.  The most basic of all forms of maintenance is the one that most people never do.

That's right cleaning these items will extend their lifespan & improve their performance.   We're going to use fans as the primary example.  A well used fan is going to get disgusting.  A disgustingly, dirty fan does not work as well as a fan in good repair.  A fan in good repair will last longer than one not taken care of regularly.

Every fan is different, so you may have to investigate how to disassemble it.   Some, but very few, actually come with instructions on how to clean the fan.  There are three primary parts of a fan.

1. The outer cage/box
2. The blade assembly
3. The motor

Things you will need.

1. Small brushes, a toothbrush or a cleaned old mascara wand
2. Clean rags
3. 409 or other cleaner (soapy water)
4. Screwdrivers 
5. WD40 or machine oil

Steps:

1. Unplug the fan
2. Remove the grills & the blades (if possible)
3. If the grill & blades can be completely removed, take them to the sink of bathtub & clean them there.  This will get messy.
4. Once those are cleaned, dry them completely
5. Take your brushes & begin to remove all dust & debris from the inner parts of the fan. (You can use a vacuum or hair dryer on cool/low for this part in the beginning.)
6. Once the fan is cleaned, oil the motor & the blade shaft
7. Reassemble the pieces.
8. The fan is now ready to be used.

I know that sounds like it's common sense, but most people never think about cleaning their fans.  Fans should be cleaned seasonally & before they are put away for the year.  Fans that aren't cleaned lose performance & overheat, which leads to mechanical failure.  Fans that are not cleaned regularly are havens for dust mites, allergens, dead bugs & other nastiness.  Never buy a fan that will not let you break it down, so you can clean & there are lot of those kind on the market.  Fan manufacturers don't want you to clean your fans, they want the fan to break &  for you to have to buy a new one.

This is a simple, practical way to save $ by taking care of a household appliance.  Guess what, this also works on computer fans.

Cya

Slight Disgust...

The Virgo that I am, hates it when contest rules, aren't followed.  We have been watching So You Think You Can Dance.  We've watched at least part of every season.  I say part, because we have abandoned the show on several occasions.  There is only so much indulgence we can endure & Nigel Lithgoe has often surpassed it.

I'll stick with the current season.  Last week was mostly a variety or weak performances by the dancers & choreographers. Yet, some how the judges couldn't find any one worthy of sending home.  So, they broke their own rules & sent no one home.  Opting instead to send two sets of dancers home this week. 

The performances went off & surprise, surprise four of the bottom six people were in the bottom last week.  However this time they were joined by a set composed of a tapper & a ballroom dancer.  The other two sets must've felt safe when that couple was called.  The middle set had a Cha Cha & did so so.  The Tapper/Ballroom set had a Bollywood number & did so so.  But the last set had their own style & quite frankly were awful.

Who would stay?  We weren't sure who was staying,  but we knew who was going.  The tapper/ballroom couple was doomed, they always are on this show.  I guess tweens just can't grasp the concepts.  But we thought the Cha Cha set might be saved.  During the judge's reviews, Nigel praised the tapper pair & the Cha Cha'ers.  He criticized the other set. We thought we'd at least lose the weaker set, but that was not the case.  The weak couple who performed badly in their own genre.  The weak couple who the judges harshly critiqued.  That weak couple is somehow the one who got to stay.

Nigel should be lashed for inconsistency...

This has definitely enforced one thing in my mind.  Their are places where even if you can go, you probably shouldn't.  Tappers & ballroom dancers can go on this show, but they shouldn't.  They are never treated well & they never even get close to winning.  Ivetta was a multiple style world champion ballroom dancer & one of the first one's eliminated, because this show has no use for ballroom dancers.  

My disgust for this show is returning.  I'm not sure how much more of it I will tolerate, before I just say no more.  No more, SYTYCD... No more Nigel Lythgoe... No more Mary Murphy... No more Simon Fuller...

OK, my rant is done.

Cya