Fibonacci's Secret

A quick check of the archives reveals a fast-paced Feb '09. I had just gotten back from a whirlwind Florida trip. The month was moving by very quickly. I built the kitchen island out at the lodge (which I remember very well- it was a dry cold out there but sunny and I spent a long day with the kerosene heater, circ saw and clamps getting everything built up "just so"). Feb '10, however, is proving to be an opposite in many ways. No longer are there the post-work obligations of years past, and even though my hours at work fly by, the month drags on like a cement star being pulled across a field on a sheet of plywood.

The weekend that wasn't. Friday night was crippled by the fact I would have to get up at some ridiculous hour Saturday. Saturday was crippled by spending the morning at work, and exhausting the afternoon trying to make up for shut-eye lost. Sunday was crippled by all-around lethargy from the days prior. The silver lining, however, was Sat night. Despite feeling slightly achy and tired when Cara and I arrived at the PL (temporary bug?), it wasn't too long before the ship turned around. Drinks flowed like it was going out of style. We lined the pockets of steroid Steve and even gave ol' man Yukon Jack a try. I can honestly say, I had a great time.

Sunday was laundry, but not before hitting up HyVee for lunch, after striking out at Waffle Stop and Village Inn. Places were packed solid. A little tip- the all you can eat pizza buffet also includes the calzones and sausage rolls, which normally sell for a couple bucks each anyway. Not a bad deal; plus a chance to catch up on the 'paper and ads since we don't subscribe. Got things done over at the parents and took in one of the 'Pirates of the Carribean' flicks on TV.

Looks like another week of potential OT headin' my way. An excellent motivator to do a little more homework on my latest scheme.

Willy Wirehand Makes The Grade!

Today's installment brought to you by Charlie Fubar Utilities!

I swear, the PoCo must have it out for me. There's a good chance they've got a note on file that says "troublesome customer" whenever they pull up my account. Once again, good intentions foiled!

I dropped in to pay the latest bill for the Lodge, and, being that a meter reader could NOT make it out there, they estimated usage by simply copy-pasting the month's prior usage (which I had phoned in prior, thus, accurate). The difficulty here was that I had used a good deal less power this month than the month before so they overshot my total owed. Getting a correction later in the season when someone WOULD be able to make it to my meter would be one option; BUT, the colder months like this are subject to greater "cost adjustment" fees than when the weather warms up so I'd ultimately be getting overcharged.

Easiest fix? Supply them with the current reading, which I had!

Oh no. First, I was told any supplied reading would HAVE to be verified and that I could schedule a reading. (Did I mention I'd given them readings before?) Yet again I explained this meter was rather....difficult...to get to. Fought two different women over the matter. The former explaining the cost adjustment fees were fixed, then casually mentioned they had recently gone up. (Yes, that's refreshing.) The latter blinded by the fact that the reading I had supplied was taken this weekend (thus beyond the billable period). It just would not register that if she plugged my number in, any "excess" usage between the end of billable period and now, would automatically correct on the next reading, AND they'd have an actual number to both bill, and estimate from. Sigh.

I finally gave up, handed over my debit card, and listened to a lecture about how I could phone in a reading between the 25th and the 4th.

Something tells me I'll be hard pressed to use 150kWh of power at the lodge in the next 10 days.

Then again, maybe they were trying to baffle me with bullshit. If so, they succeeded!

Hippodrome Redux

Terrific weekend, just the ticket to shave off some of the latest stress and glum. Had a break Thursday night with Cam at the PL and enjoyed several games of pool plus the awkward gaze of two (retired) high school teachers. Did it again Friday night, trying some sort of watered-down ice tea drink that did not impress; salvation in the popcorn, however!

What else…. Managed some down time at the Rod uncovering ancient articles in the archives. Read a piece on atomic weapons from '45. Did a little clothes shopping. Devoured two volcano tacos (eh-). Attempted to read at COJ while nursing a double-espresso. Dropped in on Aldi's to see what's new after 20 years…seriously…smells EXACTLY the way it did when I was a kid, and I had forgotten their labeling system of putting prices on a strip board up above the stock. Still left empty handed.

Made an honest attempt at driving out (or should I say, near) the lodge but the snow was up to the padlock on the gate. Walked the tracks in. Spent the afternoon out there toiling on the '59 and made some decent headway. Got out in time to win and lose a few eb*y auctions (and garner the attention of what appeared to be a bridal party enjoying a smoke outside the Rotary). Always an odd interaction.

Films enjoyed this weekend: "Back to the Future", "Caddy Shack", "Dead Man Walking", and the second half of "The Truman Show".

Of course Valentine's day, where laundry was done, mail sorted, a stocking knitted and heart-shaped pizza consumed!

And now, Monday. A return to the present, where diesel fumes mix with vulgar mouths and the penchant of laziness and finger pointing lingers with menial obligations. How anyone escapes alive is a mystery to me……

Still beats office politics.

Feb 2nd: Delaminating Ruminations

The day started off well enough: toughest day of the week behind me. Longest month of winter, IMHO, in the rearview. Grocery shopping in the snow out of the way and today's list of meetings is pretty small. Then I checked my email. Not looking forward to this summer.

Especially when I value my time, and time is what I'll really need post-work as the ground softens and the weather improves. Big things on tap, like finishing the side deck and welding railings. Pouring rock and building fences. And the money pits, like developing the drive-in site and starting construction on what I’m affectionately calling "the cabin". This may not be the summer of the patio shelter, but god forbid if I don't make good use of the balcony.

As the roads got slushy and the winds picked up, I found myself driving across the corn field after work last night and checking in on the lodge. Everything AOK. But something else. A forest from the trees moment where I had been away long enough to see a greater picture than the details that continually weighed me down stepping through the door. If I can hold tight to those rosey glasses my blood pressure might drop a few points.

A quiet weekend by the usual standards. In lieu of a Friday night special I hit up the PL with Ben and Cam Saturday afternoon after galavanting the countryside. No Toro purchases in New Hampton, but Ben made an appliance contact in town. Near Traer I struck a deal on a FWD transmission needed for the ETC and met a truly passionate person the likes I haven't encountered in sometime. Gives a soul pause. Back at the PL we knocked out a few games of pool and had a spirited conversation about the arabs and their flaming power supplies. I took my leave shortly before 5 to cleanup and hit the town with Cara. There's no doubt in my mind that Beck is rolling in dirty, dirty money. We gave Roux Orleans a try and I do admit, it was an enjoyable experience, but he should be reminded this is Waterloo, Iowa. Price your drinks accordingly…chump.

Sunday was a lazy day, but a series of trials and errors brought forth a cabin design that's a natural outgrowth of prior ideas. I ran up a bill of material yesterday and continue to get stuck with the logistics of a basement. Year-round sump-pump? Block or Poured? ICF's? Ready-mix vs. bagged. Rent an excavator or hire it out. Etc. Etc. Might just end up slab-town, USA on this one.