Have a few stray thoughts on 2012 to share, though I'm not sure anyone is reading my blog much - at least, haven't had any complaints the last two unblogged months! On the other hand, folks might think I did accidentally blow something up or crossed a legal line somehow or was simply confined for my own good, but actually it's been fairly normal here. Maija's joined the family, cutest little newbie one could wish for.
Yet I'm not sure 2012 is all that stable. I expect anything, including sprouting wings and telepathy - which would make parenting interesting - or a universal bump into other dimensions. Since it's mostly targeted for December 21, 2012, I don't plan on Christmas shopping until 12-22-12. I also think the greatest prank would be "12-21-12" end-of-times to be a week late, just to annoy the smug told-you-so'ers. The old 'he who laughs last' gag, hmm?
My worst-case scenario for 2012 would be hitting another ice-age, too friggin' cold and never mind I have wool socks and long johns. I have 'em, but I don't like wearing them. Perish the thought, but if winter started creeping back in June, I may have to start walking south; it may be a good Doomsday Prep idea to start practicing my Spanish again so I can make friends.
So... if you think you know me, what might be one food supply I'd stock up on? Well, yeah, coffee, because if the world's ending there is no reason to compound one's misery with caffeine withdrawal. Actually, I tend to think if all the coffee disappeared, the world may end, because who'd get up to deal with it?
I'm also pretty sure that within 30 seconds of the world ending, no one will care. Whether it goes out with a bang (and probably not from anything I did) or we blip into 5-D, odds are my thoughts will be along the line of "Now what the hell? - Whoa, this is weird! - Huh, so this is how it's gonna be now - where's the coffee pot?" Eventually I suspect we will adapt, same as the 7 billion of us did when we were born into this world. Terribly shocking, wasn't it? Ironically, the kids will be the least surprised, since they believe anything is possible already (or "Why I tried to fly off the see-saw when I was 5").
As usual, I have no idea what may occur at any given time, but I don't think harboring fear and greed will be useful. Actually, I think these - fear and greed - may actually be what is 'doomed' and I'm all for it! Even though I watch "Doomsday Preppers", I dislike the weaponry and fear it too often portrays. But there a bits of 'shining humanity' in it too, like the statistic that 24% of those interviewed said they'd share resources. Of course, they didn't say whose resources they'd share, but it sounded good. A prudent person just gathers a few practical items, like coffee and wool socks, in case life has a rough spot. Tonight's episode pointed out that it could be a long walk home if the cars died from a solar flare - too true, it could be a 60 mile walk if I was in the wrong place at the wrong time!
I think I might prudently sling a pair of old-fashioned roller skates into the trunk. If chaos occurs, I'll be the one skating home in my wool socks clutching my instant coffee jar. Then I'm going to try flying off the see-saw again!
It's good to have a plan.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Blue Balls of Fire... Or What NOT to Do, Again
Yoy. So how do I end up with a blue ball of fire in my life, you ask? Well, it all started when I was young...
Actually, it may be linked to my childhood, because I used to fingerpaint the tub walls with my dad's shaving cream, but I never told him this. In my current world, it was a $50 tub from Habitat that was permanently stained so I figured I may as well paint it. Couldn't hurt it, right?
I had a few days open before my schedule gets hectic, so I got on with this project. Life does stay normal here. The first day I was painting away when Sera yelled - the washing machine was leaking water out the bottom. It's a new machine and a quick look indicated the drain pipe had come loose, so I let her and Dennis fix it without my expertise. They crammed it back together and put a fan on the floor to dry things up.
The second day I was painting, Sera yelled again - the stove was on fire. One of the burners had oil spilled and burst into flames. It was extinguished with baking soda, and provided a great example of why I think someone ought to clean these occasionally. I'm not sure she took the hint.
After about 20 hours of painting, I was ready to...
Clear-coat it with spray paint. Right. Half-way through the first can, I realized it says 'flammable' on the front for a reason, so I turned the furnace thermostat to 40 since the furnace is two feet outside the bathroom door. I had the bathroom fan running, but it wasn't near adequate, so I let the vapor thin some while I caught up on breathing and did it in three rounds.
I also checked for excess fumes with my Bic lighter, which I realized wasn't terribly bright, but it 'didn't blow up' before I started another round. I'm not terribly sure how well the paint will hold up over time; I am hoping it works as well as it is on the car. If if chips off too quickly, I'll repaint it with just a swirl one fine summer day (i.e. with the door open and the furnace off).
So today I thought I best give it a second coat of clear spray paint, same method as yesterday when it seems I failed to learn anything from my own advice. Except today when I was gauging fumes with my lighter, I lowered it into the tub proper.
Interesting lesson here, because it seems the fumes settle. Blue flames filled the tub about two feet high and actually caught a small, brief fire (which I blew out when the blue flames dispersed).
No real damage occurred, but I am fully aware that it could have torched the bathroom in short order. My heart rate hit 600 beats per minute and I haven't yet turned the furnace back up today since I get twitchy whenever I walk by it.
It is much prettier but now I don't want to let anyone use it! The worst that will happen, now that the odds are I won't burn down the house (which I have never done - yet - in my life), is the paint won't last and it'll look like it did before I started.
Actually, it may be linked to my childhood, because I used to fingerpaint the tub walls with my dad's shaving cream, but I never told him this. In my current world, it was a $50 tub from Habitat that was permanently stained so I figured I may as well paint it. Couldn't hurt it, right?
I had a few days open before my schedule gets hectic, so I got on with this project. Life does stay normal here. The first day I was painting away when Sera yelled - the washing machine was leaking water out the bottom. It's a new machine and a quick look indicated the drain pipe had come loose, so I let her and Dennis fix it without my expertise. They crammed it back together and put a fan on the floor to dry things up.
The second day I was painting, Sera yelled again - the stove was on fire. One of the burners had oil spilled and burst into flames. It was extinguished with baking soda, and provided a great example of why I think someone ought to clean these occasionally. I'm not sure she took the hint.
After about 20 hours of painting, I was ready to...
Clear-coat it with spray paint. Right. Half-way through the first can, I realized it says 'flammable' on the front for a reason, so I turned the furnace thermostat to 40 since the furnace is two feet outside the bathroom door. I had the bathroom fan running, but it wasn't near adequate, so I let the vapor thin some while I caught up on breathing and did it in three rounds.
I also checked for excess fumes with my Bic lighter, which I realized wasn't terribly bright, but it 'didn't blow up' before I started another round. I'm not terribly sure how well the paint will hold up over time; I am hoping it works as well as it is on the car. If if chips off too quickly, I'll repaint it with just a swirl one fine summer day (i.e. with the door open and the furnace off).
So today I thought I best give it a second coat of clear spray paint, same method as yesterday when it seems I failed to learn anything from my own advice. Except today when I was gauging fumes with my lighter, I lowered it into the tub proper.
Interesting lesson here, because it seems the fumes settle. Blue flames filled the tub about two feet high and actually caught a small, brief fire (which I blew out when the blue flames dispersed).
No real damage occurred, but I am fully aware that it could have torched the bathroom in short order. My heart rate hit 600 beats per minute and I haven't yet turned the furnace back up today since I get twitchy whenever I walk by it.
It is much prettier but now I don't want to let anyone use it! The worst that will happen, now that the odds are I won't burn down the house (which I have never done - yet - in my life), is the paint won't last and it'll look like it did before I started.If anyone asks if this is a good idea, the answer is NO.
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