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The weather causes this wireless connectivity apparatus to lose signals, especially heavy rain, or, as in today, wind blowing lots of stuff around the house. So a lot of times in the last few days I've wanted to go on line, I couldn't.

Now, I don't care so much.

Excitement for the day was a trek to take Mum up (and I do mean UP) English Mountain as a reward for her discharge. She'd never been there before.

I wanted to have pics here, but my camera was low on juice, again. Once we returned, I used the wonderful Radio Shack digital pocket multitester I got last year for mechanics class to examine every good AA battery I had and set aside only those with maximum charge for the camera. I'm sure I'll still need to buy new batteries soon, tho'. Don't want the heartbreak to happen again.
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Spent roughly $200 of my ~$600 budget on a roller cabinet, plus sundry hand tools such as snips, files, hammers, punches and end-cutter pliers. Still have some stupf to buy but they can wait and I know where to get them.
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Today is the real Thanksgiving...at least at Rather Manor. Yes, we may have a feast on Thursday too, but the Church to which Mum and Dad belong does a neighborhood-wide superfeast, both on-site and delivered. So I'll have my quota of turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes--and perhaps a slice of cake (I'll let everybody else have the pumpkin pie)--tonight for my dinner whether I go with the folks or stay here. And I'll likely stay here.

Earlier today I went to Harbour Freight in Knoxville and picked up the highest-priority tools for my purposes: a measuring set of calipers, dividers and scales; a combination square with multiple heads; a screwdriver set; a steel ruler; a mini flashlight. I'd toyed with the idea of buying more tools then and there, but decided against that because I'll be doing more shopping at the local Lowe's tomorrow and will try to complete my list that way. Besides, there's only so much me and Moonshine can carry at once. (I'll have to borrow Dad's Dodgepodge to transport the tool cabinet piece d'resistance.)
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Attempted to shop for tools, now that I have my Grant surplus and a little cash in hand. So I went to Kodak, Sevierville and Pigeon Forge. Observations:

* Route 66 between I-40 and US 411/441 is all chewed up with construction and with the extra traffic it's a nightmare.

* Black & Decker and Workshop Tools have, between them, taken over the lion's share of the "small box" hardware retail business in Sevier County. I didn't like the selections for the tools I needed, so I didn't buy anything. My plan now is to buy the more immediate stupf at a Lowe's on Sunday afternoon and hope that I'll have funds left over from that to get the big nasty stupf later.

* Muzak with pop Christmas music. Decorations all over. And of course, no cheer. Why does this "season" start so darned early and not break for anything till after New Year's? I'm tired of it already!

Tools

Oct. 27th, 2010 10:42 am
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One of the things promised with my grant money is that I'll have some surplus from which to buy the tools I'll need for my later courses. I'm still waiting for my funding on that account, so I'm somewhat concerned about making sure I find all the required pieces of the set.

But I'm benefitting from a little synchronicity.

A family friend is a retired long-distance truck driver and mechanic. I'll buy a bunch of my tools--probably the lion's share--from him. Not only do I get them at very reasonable prices, I know they'll work. And a good friend will get good money for them.

I still have to wait for the money, but it takes a load off my mind.
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Today, my father saw an ophthamological specialist for that eyesight problem they found at the VA last month. Again, I was his driver, and spent two hours in the waiting room.

At least the music being played in the records office wasn't piped into the waiting area. Autotuning annoys me as much as Muzak.

After the appointment wrapped up, we went to the school where I'll be starting classes next month, to talk tools with the Chief Instructor. I won't need tools until two or three months in, so for that I'm a little grateful.
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Since the house I'm living isn't mine, my desire is to be wealthy and independent enough to move elsewhere.

In the meantime, this house needs:
* A new roof and gutter system;
* Two new bathrooms and a tankless water heater;
* The foundation and floors stabilized, strengthened and straightened-out.

Tasks far beyond what we are capable of doing. But the problem was that this house was the best thing that my parents could afford.
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Again, I have to remind everybody that all "technology" means is applied know-how. Lower forms of life apply their know-how to survive. Humans apply their knowledge twenty-four hours a day. We cannot "better mankind" by being ignorant and abandoning methods that work, have worked, and will continue to work for us.
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The trouble our trees have brought us this week was evidently the last straw for Dad. He just took delivery of a second-hand mini chainsaw. I believe there will be some very loud therapy going on at Rather Manor soon.
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Just a little while ago, Dad and I went to a hardware store in Kodak to compare my school tools shopping list versus what they had on hand. We were able to find about three-quarters of what I'll need off-the-shelf, but there is also a lot of stuff that is specialized or just plain confusing. When the money comes, we'll probably get a lot there, and a lot at Sears, but for the specialty tools it may be the Tech School or the highway. Which kind of scares me.

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Stephen R Bierce

March 2022

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