Hoof Leis, Irrigation Irritation, Golf(!!)

Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland. Since much of my news these days relates to trying to age gracefully, this series might be called The Geezer Gazette.]

6/14/25

 

Aloha Folks!

 

Last Saturday after our beach breakfast picnic we went to the annual King Kamehameha Parade.  This is

one of our favorite events because it is uniquely local.  Kamehameha, who was born on our island, unified the numerous separate kingdoms across the islands and began the modern era of Hawai'i.  He did this through brilliant military strategy, ruthless cunning, good old trickery, and his willingness to adopt the recently introduced weaponry of the Europeans.  After unification he turned out to be a very good oeacetime leader, ushering in what many consider the golden era in Hawaiian history.  The parade features the usual community marching groups and floats, but also groups of horseback riders representing each of the major islands.  The colorful costumes of the riders are beautiful, but for us the real stars are the

horses, who are decked out with their own neck and forehead leis.  One group of horses even had ankle leis made from a special local flower called the Crown Flower.  Great fun, and the horses seem to enjoy it, too!

 

My house repair project this week involved fixing a couple of leaks in the irrigation system.  Because of all the rain we've been getting, I've had it shut off for the last couple of weeks. but it is only a matter of time when I'll have to turn it back on, so this was a good time to get it working right.  This project also involved squatting and straining, so I wanted to get it done before my surgery next week. My system is a low-flow set of emitters that are fed by a flexible tube that runs from the valve controller to various garden areas.  When we bought the house I expanded the system that was already here, a fun project that involved learning a lot of new skills.  The leaks I had to fix were in the older section of the system, in tubing that had been buried a few inches.  This meant I had to dig out the dirt to reach the tubing, sacrificing a few plants in the process.  I was afraid that the leaks might be from disintegrated sections of the old tubing, requiring cutting back to sound portions and replacing the bad part with new tubing.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the leaks were much simpler to fix.  One was a hole where one of the emitters  had been attached to the tube, probably broken off by our gardener.  This was easily fixed by inserting something called a "goof plug" into the hole to seal it.  If necessary, I can replace it with a new emitter later. The other leak was at the very end of one of the tubes where the tubing had been crimped by the original installers and the crimped tube had finally disintegrated. Another easy fix by cutting off the end back to good tubing and then putting on a proper end piece.  I love projects like this that aren't as difficult as I had feared.  Unfortunately, as most do-it-your-selfers know, it is usually the reverse -- something you expected would be trivially easy turns out to be a major undertaking.

 

Also in the pleasant news department was that I was able to play golf on Thursday without getting soaked! Karen and I went to Makalei and our usual golf friend joined us.  None of us had played for at least a couple of months and the first couple of holes weren't pretty.  Then we started doing better, at least at moments.  I've now decided that the score on a hole isn't as important as the number of good shots I make.  Anything greater than "1" is enough to keep me going.  And overall I did pretty good -- three bogeys and a par.  However, I have to admit that three of those required invoking various Kona-A-Lago Rules, like if the ball circles the rim of the cup 180 degrees or more, it counts as going in, and an automatic do-over is allowed if an approach shot doesn't go at least 30 feet.  Anyway, we played our usual 16 holes before pooping out, and we didn't encounter any rain, even though the course was soaked from heavy showers nearly every day the previous week.  The wet grass made cart-driving a little treacherous at times.  Our friend did a beautiful slow-motion 360 degree spin as she tried to navigate one steep hillside section. I did a brief sideways slide in the same location.

 

The Geezer Gazette  is pretty quiet this week. I saw my retina doctor on Tuesday, and got an injection.  I expected this because my vision had gone south, especially over the previous week.  He suggested treating the "good" eye first, since it has a chance of improving the most, and then I will return in 2 weeks for a shot in the other eye.  This will be on the same day as my root canal.  Sheesh. The effects of this drug are surprisingly and pleasantly quick -- my "good" eye has improved noticeably since Tuesday.

 

Ok, that's it for now.  On Wednesday I have my surgery.  I'll try to get a missive done about this experience if I can.  Take care. Keep your passport handy.  Carpe Vitam. 

Tooth Saved, Almost Golf, Pre-Op Pre-Bleeding

Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland. Since much of my news these days relates to trying to age gracefully, this series might be called The Geezer Gazette.]

6/7/25

 

Aloha Everybody!

 

Geez, June already. I see that things have warmed up a tad on the mainland -- Ohio was hitting near 90d a few days ago.  We're still getting a lot of rainy and cloudy weather, and it is getting very, very old.  An example of how we are suffering tragically is that I haven't been able to play golf since we returned from our mainland trip. Each time we've had a day free it has rained by late morning, a deal-breaker for a fair-weather golfer like me.  Finally, on Wednesday this week Karen and I decided to go to the Makalei driving/putting range and at least hit some balls. It was cloudy but dry when we got there about 10:30, but by noon it started to rain as we were getting to the bottom of our bucket of balls.  I ran to the shelter of the golf-cart but Karen just kept whacking.  Like I said, I'm a fair-weather golfer. We consoled ourselves with a burger and a beer at one of our favorite restaurants that overlooks the small boat harbor, a very picturesque spot. We'll watch the forecast and try to get in at least part of a round next week. I sure would like to play before my hernia repair recovery puts golf off limits for 4-6 weeks.

 

That leads to the Geezer Gazette news for the week.  On Tuesday I finally got in to see an endodontist about my broken tooth (it's now six weeks since I broke it).  Of course, I had to fill out the new patient forms which ask for medical history, insurance, promise to pay anything not covered, etc., etc.  I was particularly amused by the question on the medical history which asked "Are you under the care of a physician? If so, for what condition?" The answer space was tiny, evidence that no one ever looks at this form.  I was tempted to write "Dr. Zook, leprosy & scurvy" to test my assertion.  Instead, I put the name of my internist and listed just Afib and Emphysema.  Both true, but hardly a thorough answer.  Which physician, exactly?  My internist, my cardiologist, my ophthalmologist, my dermatologist, my dentist?  Which condition?  My Afib, my hypertension, my retina vein occlusions, my glaucoma, my osteopenia,  my cancerous skin lesions, etc., etc.?  When I returned the form I tried to joke with the 20-something receptionist that they needed a longer form if they were going to ask that question of someone my age.  She gave me a blank, somewhat puzzled look.

 

Anyway, after yet another x-ray of the tooth, the endodontist examined me and confidently informed me that I had broken a tooth. I countered this startling news by saying I would really like to save the tooth, if possible.  He did some more examining of my tooth and the x-ray, had me do a full jaw CT scan

The Plan

(fortunately on the spot) and concluded that it might be possible to do a procedure where the nerve is removed and a metal post is cemented into the vacated channel that would provide a support for restoring the missing part of the tooth. I agreed.  The plan is that he will remove the nerve and put in a temporary filling where it was located.  I will then go back to my dentist, who will drill out the temporary material and insert the post and ultimately restore the tooth, hopefully sometime before I die of old age.  Great.  The next step was to schedule my return to the endodontist for the nerve removal.  I was pleased that the first available slot was only two weeks out -- unfortunately, though,  it was on the same day as my hernia surgery!  I joked with the receptionist that maybe my surgeon and the endodontist could team up and do both at once.  I got the same blank, puzzled look as before.  I took the next available slot after that, which will be the following week, a bit close to my surgery perhaps, but I'm motivated to get both of these things done!

 

If I sound somewhat snarky it's because I think this process has been ludicrously inefficient, has involved unnecessary costs in terms of time and money,  and has exposed me to unnecessary, duplicitous x-rays.  Why couldn't my dentist have forwarded the initial x-ray to the endodontist along with my relevant history and then the two of them conferred on the best course of treatment?  I could have then scheduled just one visit to the endodontist who would have done the root canal (perhaps contingent on his in-person examination), and sent me back to the dentist for the restoration work. As reasonable as this sounds, it would have required coordination and sharing of information, two things that are sorely lacking in our medical system and that contribute to our country having the most expensive health care system in the world. Grrrrrrr.

 

I also had some of my blood sucked this week as part of my hernia pre-op preparations.  I can understand why it would be important for the surgeon and the hospital to have a recent blood analysis in case a patient has some unusual issues that might require special handling.  However, here again there is duplication, because I had just had blood work done in April for my internist and my cardiologist -- same tests on factors that don't change quickly.  However,  the hospital requires the tests to have been performed within a month of surgery, so the April results were considered too old.  Fortunately I was able to get this done quickly and conveniently, so it wasn't a big deal.

 

That's about it for the week.  Off to market and our usual beach breakfast picnic.  Take care. Stay away from the medical establishment if you can.  Carpe vitam. 

Stress Tests, More Bird Sitting, Retirement Anniversary

Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland. Since much of my news these days relates to trying to age gracefully, this series might be called The Geezer Gazette.]

5/31/25

 

Aloha Everyone!  

 

I'll start with some positive news. Today is the 25th anniversary of the last day of teaching for both Karen and me, and tomorrow will be our first day of retirement anniversary.  Amazing it has been so long.  Neither of us regrets a minute of retirement, which has allowed us to have so many enriching and enjoyable experiences.

 

I continued my bird sitting duties this week because my neighbor had even more complications with his ablation procedure.  Recall that this was supposed to be a simple, routine operation done on an out-patient

Ultimate Techno-Toy

basis.  All seemed to go well and he and his wife were preparing to return to Kona when his heart suddenly started beating very fast. They quickly returned to the hospital's ER, where his heart stopped altogether.  They jump-started him, admitted him to the hospital, put in a temporary pace-maker and then in a few days a permanent one to keep his heart from stopping again.  His high heart rate was controlled by heavy-duty drugs that can restore a normal rate and rhythm.  So far so good,  He was ready to be discharged a week ago today.  However, they did one final test to make sure the pacemaker was working ok. This is called a stress test, and compares your normal heart function to what happens when you exercise or do something that puts a burden on your heart.  The results suggested massive blockage in one or more arteries, with a survival rate of 1-2 years!  The treatment for this is usually to install stents in the arteries or even open heart surgery to fix the problem.  The stent procedure involves running a catheter with a camera on it into the heart and directly examining the blood vessels. This is called an "angiogram" in medical jargon, the definitive test for determining blockage.  He had to wait in the hospital for 3 days until this could be scheduled. It showed....Nothing.  No blockage at all.  No stents needed, no open heart surgery.  No dropping dead in the next two years.  In short, the stress test result was a false positive, which apparently is not that uncommon.  Indeed, another friend of mine who lives here had a clean angiogram last week after a stress test had suggested blockage.  Anyway, my neighbor finally escaped from the hospital on Wednesday and is now back home after a 10-day stay.

 

Having two friends within a week who experienced nasty outcomes from a stress test got me a wee bit uptight about my own test, which happened on Thursday.  Being the wimp that I am, I was getting very worried that this would lead to a round of unpleasant tests that might delay my hernia surgery. Now that I've decided to go through with it, I want to get it done!  I was greatly relieved when my ticker passed with flying colors!! No problems at all. The test was done on a treadmill with me wired up to a very fancy ECG machine which also tracked my blood pressure.  The goal was to get my heart rate up to about 85% of my age-adjusted maximum, which for me is 120 bpm. This didn't take very long to achieve, thanks in part to my emphysema.  My cardiologist didn't spot anything problematic, much to my delight. Yippee! I celebrated with a quick dip in the pool, lunch, and a nice deep nap. 

 

That's all the Geezer Gazette news this week, but of course there will be more next time.  Carpe Vita.

Bird Sitting, Cold Recovery, Hurry Up and Wait

Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland. Since much of my news these days relates to trying to age gracefully, this series might be called The Geezer Gazette.]

5/24/25

 

Aloha Ohana!  

I'm finally on the down side of my cold symptoms, just a nagging cough that brings up goo-balls from my chest, and I still don't have much energy. The cloudy wet weather we've still having has been very conducive to naps because it gives me a great excuse to snooze since I can't work outside.  This past week we got about 2 inches of rain in almost daily installments.  By covering the pool at night we've managed to keep the water temperature in the low 80's, so the few times we've been able to take a dip between rain showers haven't been too bad.

 

One focus of my week was taking care of our neighbor's two exotic birds, a rose cockatoo and an African grey parrot.  The neighbors went to Oahu for a couple of days.so he could have an ablation procedure to

Cockatoo

treat his Afib.  Bird-sitting is pretty easy compared to dogs.  There's no walking and poop bags involved, for instance.  It was just a matter of giving them special food a couple of times a day and cleaning up the bottoms of their cages.  We've known the birds for years and they seem to know us, too.  Both are in their 30's,  raised by our neighbors.  Both are very friendly, but they have very different personalities.  The cockatoo doesn't talk but loves to dance.  The African grey is very talkative, and tends to be a real show-off.  Anyway, my duty was extended to most of the week when my neighbor had complications and wound up having to have a pacemaker installed yesterday. In addition, the African grey became ill and my neighbor's wife flew home then returned to Oahu with the bird to get treatment from a special bird veterinarian there. BTW, flying with a bird is not a simple matter.  Most airlines no longer allow them in the cabin, and only a limited number of cargo hold slots are available.  Also, the bird has to be inspected and cleared by USDA.  If all goes well the neighbors and the bird will return late this afternoon.  Talk about a stressful week for them!

 

In stark contrast to my neighbors' whirlwind week, I'm in a "hurry up and wait" mode with several pending issues.  For one thing, we're waiting on parts to fix the transmission in Karen's 22 year-old Miata.  The problem has been diagnosed and the mechanic is standing by to do the work as soon as the parts arrive, ordered two weeks ago.  Also, I'm still waiting to see an endontist about my broken tooth. That should happen week after next. And Im waiting to take the stress test my cardiologist wants in order to clear me for hernia surgery in June. It's not uncommon here to have to wait for a resolution to some problem, of course.  But I seldom have this many important  things hanging at once.  Patience, Grasshopper....time is but an illusion.

 

Ok, off to market and a beach breakfast picnic.Take care, enjoy your Spring.  

Beach Birthday, Nursing a Cold, Cancelled Stress Test

Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland. Since much of my news these days relates to trying to age gracefully, this series might be called The Geezer Gazette.]

5/17/25

 

Aloha Guys!  

This wasn't exactly a pleasant week here.  For one thing, the weather has been downright sucky -- grey, cool, and rainy. Since we returned it has been this way, and the locals are grumbling -- at the most we might get a day or two of this kind of weather, but this is way beyond the  norm.  My PV system is taking an extended snooze and even the hot water solar has needed a supplemental boost several times to give us warm enough water for showers.  One positive result is that I've been putting our garden irrigation on hold most of the week because we have been getting more than adequate rain.  Of course the plants love this weather, including the weeds, but conditions for working in the garden have been wet and muddy most days.  

Another thing detracting from our usual pleasant conditions is that I've been nursing a cold all week. I had

Nastius Culpritis

a slight cough last Sunday but I was able to ignore it.  By Tuesday, however, I was feeling downright crappy.  I haven't had a cold in years and I forgot how uncomfortable one can make you feel -- achy, drippy, lethargic, and toward the end a nice chest congestion that settles in for a few days.  BTW, I know this is a cold and not Covid from the negative results of 4 self-tests.  Actually, the two times I've had Covid the symptoms weren't as bad and didn't last as long as this. Maybe my cold virus antibodies haven't been activated in such a long time that they were asleep on the job.  My system is loaded with Covid antibodies from all my vaccinations and they headed off the virus early and more completely. Also, it is likely I have a  cold and not flu because I don't have a fever. But it doesn't really matter -- crappy is crappy.  Of course, my stress test had to be rescheduled from Thursday to two weeks out, May 29. This should still be in plenty of time to get my clearance for my hernia surgery in June.  My life is increasingly and depressingly revolving around scheduling medical procedures.  Damn!

 

In more pleasant news we celebrated Karen's birthday on Sunday with a low key picnic dinner of Thai takeout on the beach just north of town.  My cold hadn't fully developed yet, so it was an enjoyable outing.  Karen told me she didn't want anything from my usual go-to categories of gifts, so I had to get creative -- a new serrated sickle for gardening (her old one was very dull) and a deluxe personalized sharpening of her favorite pair of hand pruners.  Romantic, right?!!

 

A final piece of Geezer Gazette news is also pleasant -- I saw my retina doctor on Tuesday and didn't need a shot.  Very little edema in either eye, low pressures, new lenses are staying in place.  My acuity is stable (not great, but workable) and my new glasses seem to be helping a smidge.  I'll take it.  Next appointment is in a month, and by then I may need shots, but for right now there is no need.  Yippee!

 

The 22nd episode in Kilauea's lava fountain show started early yesterday morning and ended 10 hours later.  This was a good one, though short, with lava spouting up to 1000 feet for a brief time before backing down to 500 feet.  Like the previous 21 episodes, this one has ended, but the volcano is probably recharging for the next one.  No one knows how long this unusual pattern will go on, but so for it has been pulsing like this since December 23.

 

Ok, that's it for this week.  Remember, morality, ethics, and integrity aren't mythical qualities, though many prominent people seem not to have them...... 

Carpe Vitam.

 

 

Waterfalls, Roulette Wheels, 800 Frogs, & A Broken Tooth

 Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland. Since much of my news these days relates to trying to age gracefully, this series might be called The Geezer Gazette.]

5/10/25

 

Aloha Everyone!

 

We returned from the mainland last Saturday evening, after flying from Las Vegas to San Francisco and

then Kona.  Overall, it was a very good trip.  Recall that we began in Yosemite for 5 nights. We really enjoyed  our time there. It is a uniquely dramatic and beautiful place.  Our lodge was very close to Yosemite Falls, and we could see them from our room. At this time of year all of the park's many waterfalls were in full "gush mode," which made for some very picturesque hikes. The weather cooperated and every day was sunny.  I survived the temperatures (50's -60's) pretty well though at night it got down way below my comfort level.  The chaos we feared we might encounter because of our Oligarch-in-Chief's rampages didn't materialize.  The first couple of days were crowded, but that was over Easter Weekend and included an admission-free day.  After that we didn't have any problems.  High season this summer might be a different story, however.  

From Yosemite we went north to Calavaras County (as in Mark Twain's story about jumping frog contests).  Highlights included getting a close-up look at a classic steam locomotive that has

been used in many Western movies and t.v. episodes, like Gunsmoke, Back to the Future, and Little House on the Prairie. I'm very enamored with steam engines and so this was a real treat.  Unfortunately the weather turned against us and it was wet and cold for a few days, including the day we took a 2-hour walk through Calavaras Big Trees State Park, where we got up close and personal with many Giant Sequoias, some of which were nearly 2 thousand years old.  The temperature when we started was 37d and there was frozen white stuff on the ground.  I was pretty frozen myself by the end.  One tree in this park is a sad tribute to human ignorance, greed, and hubris.  It was discovered by Augustus Dowd in 1852, and was the biggest tree he had ever seen --300 feet tall, 25 feet in diameter and 1200 years old.  So he did what any red-blooded nature lover in those days would do --- he cut it down and made the stump into a novelty dance floor! Had this magnificent tree not encountered Homo Sapiens Idioticus it would now be the largest Sequoia in the grove, according to arborists.  Of course, the grove itself wouldn't still be standing if  the people of California, acting through their state government, hadn't prevented its loss to logging and other commercial interests.

 

From hugging trees and watching waterfalls we flew to Las Vegas, the de-evolution capital of the world.  We stayed four days and enjoyed a couple of shows and a couple of excellent dinners, including one by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck that featured great food and a view of the Bellagio fountains.  We also gambled a bit, though our tightwad tendencies made this very low stakes and we neither won nor lost very much.  One thing I did lose, though, was part of a tooth while having a light meal at Caesar's Palace. The irony is that although I didn't lose much gambling I may wind up paying big bucks because my dental insurance is very limited in covering this kind of thing.  On Tuesday afternoon I got an assessment by my dentist, and he recommended putting on a crown.  This will take at least a couple of more visits, plus

arranging first for a root canal at a different dental facility.  What a hassle. We noticed several significant changes in Las Vegas since we were there eight years ago.  For one thing, it is much more expensive.  Rooms, meals, and minimum bets are all higher than we remember.  Covid killed the cheap buffets, of course, and few have come back.  The new resorts are grander and bigger than ever before and some of our old favorites, like the Mirage, are being re-branded and refurbished.  The Mirage is now the Hard Rock, complete with a huge guitar being built in front -- not as classy as we remember the Mirage being, but definitely more iconic. Oh, and the de-evolution machines are now bigger and brighter, with wrap around screens and stereo sound, programmed with even more hypnotic and stupefying sound effects.  Four days in Vegas was fun but about all we could handle.

 

There is a fair amount of Geezer Gazette news this week, besides my unexpected visit to the dentist.  Monday I saw my Optometrist for a check on my prescription.  Both eyes have changed enough that I've ordered new glasses that may get me to 20/30 using both eyes. That's good news indeed. Tuesday morning I consulted with a surgeon about my hernia.  He verified the problem, acknowledged my issues of age, Afib, medications, etc., and recommends a laparoscopic procedure to do both sides at once.  The surgery is scheduled for June 18, but first I have to get clearance from my cardiologist, who wants me to do a stress test, which will happen next week.  I really like this surgeon.  Although he seems to be about 13 years old, he also seems knowledgeable, competent, and personable  This helps a lot with my wimpiness about getting sliced and diced.  

 

Finally, I caught my 800th coqui frog this week!  The honor went to a big female who was about to have a hot date with a male who was calling loudly below our bedroom lanai.  I hand-caught the female, but the male had backed into a deep hole in the house foundation and I had to spritz him with citric acid. I'm not sure if I got enough on him to put an end to his singing career because he shot out of the hole and disappeared.  Anyway, the female is now a coqui-cicle in the freezer.

 

Ok, that's my report for the week.  Hang in there.  Roller coaster rides do come to an end eventually. Carpe Vitam!

Club Hernia, Valve Re-Repair, Taxes, Gooey Golf

Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland. Since much of my news these days relates to trying to age gracefully, this series might be called The Geezer Gazette.]

4/11/25

 

Aloha All!

 

I'm not sure the recent mainland weather qualifies as "April Showers."  Geesh.  Tornadoes, flooding, snow storms.  Some Spring you guys seem to be having. The crazy weather, though, is right in line with the equally crazy political, social, and economic turmoil.  It's times like these I'm glad to be right where I am -- 2000 miles from the mayhem. Oops.  I forgot that we're venturing to the mainland next week.  Wish us luck. Maybe I should update my will, renew my supply of tranquilizers, and buy some noise-canceling earphones?

 

Well, I'll get right to the Geezer Gazette news.  On Monday I saw my regular doctor for my usual 6-month check up. My blood and pee test results were fine -- low cholesterol, B-12 ok, low sodium. etc.  My emphysema is worse, but not by very much. However, it looks like I will soon be joining another not-so-exclusive geezer association:  the Hernia Repair Club. I've had the most common form of hernia (inguinal) since I was a teenager, but it has never caused me any problems or discomfort. Doctors who have examined me have duly noted its existence but  have advised me that surgery wasn't necessary, an assessment that I happily agreed with because I am a wimp when in comes to people slicing me open with sharp knives. So far, except for having my tonsils out and my cataracts removed, I've never had an operation of any kind. However, my hernia has been getting bigger over the past couple of years, and although it still doesn't hurt at all, I may soon need a sling to carry it around.  Besides, since sooner or later I will have to have this taken care of, I figure I'll be able to recover quicker now because I'm in better shape than I will be at any time in the future.  My internist has referred me to a surgeon for a consult which is the first step.  In the meantime, I naturally I did some research about hernias and hernia surgery and discovered some interesting tidbits, like the incidence of the common inguinal form is about 25% in men, but only 2% in women. The rate in men is about the same for Afib as it is for Hernias, making both of them common topics for guy geezer get-together sessions, along with discussions about enlarged prostates, something that 80% of men over 70 have.  Almost one million hernia repair surgeries are performed each year, which means most surgeons get a lot of practice at this, which is probably a good thing.  I also learned that by far the most common form of hernia isn't what I thought it was -- it's something called a Hiatal Hernia, and 50% of people over 50 develop one. In this type of hernia part of the stomach slides up along the esophagus through a hole in your chest diaphragm. Most of the time Hiatal Hernias don't require surgery, but they are a frequent cause of acid reflux, a common geezer complaint. Fun facts, eh?

 

My project I mentioned last week to replace a faulty irrigation valve went ok until I tested it and discovered a slow leak in one of my connections.  The joints I had glued together were fine, but I one of the fittings that screws into the body of the valve hadn't been tightened enough.  The leak was so small that I could have just left it as is, but that would have driven me crazy, knowing that it wasn't quite right. The solution, fortunately, was pretty quick and easy.  I just cut out the valve, wrenched the fittings more tightly, and glued the assembly back into place.  No drips or oozing at all this time, and the controller opens and closes the valve as it should.  And I feel way mo' betta.

 

I filed my income taxes last week.  No refund for me this time, I'm proud to say.  Instead, we owed a fair amount more this year, not because of higher tax rates but rather because the stock market did much better, unlike the tanking occurring at the moment under our current "leadership."   Even with the additional amount we owe, our effective tax rate is nearly the same as it has been for the past 15 years, despite changes of administrations and chest-thumping claims of lowering taxes.  I filed electronically as I usually do because that way I know for sure the return has been filed on time and accepted.  I also set up our quarterly estimated tax payments to be paid automatically online so that if we happen to be traveling I don't have to worry about it. 

 

Yesterday Karen and I played golf with our usual partner, who  joined us part way through the

Jackson, Course Dragon

round.  Even though it threatened rain, we wanted to go ahead because this was the last time we could play until after our return from our trip.  There were some sprinkles and short spells of fog, but we escaped anything heavy. Karen and I both played lousy for the first few holes, a performance we blamed on the thick air and generally gooey conditions due to previous rains. However, we did much better on holes lower down the course, where it was drier.  I got two bogeys and a par, as did Karen. We saw lots of Nenes and Peacocks, but no chicks yet.  We also were treated to a rare sighting of Jackson, the Course Dragon. All in all it was a very good outing.

 

That's it for this week, and you probably won't hear from me again until after we return.  Take care and remember that facts and truth really do exist, no matter how hard someone denies them. 

Carpe Vitam!