Behind the protective layer

POOL Thoughts

2009-04-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

I just needed to stop in and rattle off a ramble. I think a blurb might be in order tonight.
Its Friday night and the weather promises to be spectacular. My family wants to come over to help me work on one or two of the many projects I need to do this year. Projects meaning yard work.
This year is the year I have dreaded since I bought this place. With Johnson Creek being as volatile as it is in the winter, I always knew that there was a potential of catastrophic damage to the Pool. This year was the realization of that potential. I have some pictures of what had occurred. Some of you already know of this horror.
Here's the thing. Spring is here and this is almost the first weekend that is to be in the mid seventies. I am thinking shorts and sunscreen. We are going to cut up the destroyed Pool liner and clean out the pool. This should be complete on 4/18 Saturday. Then I measure for a new $3000.00 liner and PRAY TO GOD that the creek will not do it to me again. That pool is such a large pain in my ass, you just cant imagine. But, when the moment is right and a child learns to swim in it or you get a good workout one morning or someone actually tries to dump me in(you know who you are)or you come home on a hot day, beaten down from the week.( I know, too many or's) That pool is the shizzle.
I MUST REBUILD IT. It will be revived! The question is who will help me to install the new liner. I hope there could be a potluck and campfire day built around it. Either or whichever way, it is going to all work out. This is my rave of just accepting what is and what will be. I am thinking Mid June will be the new opening of the pool .

I feel a little better for getting that ramble out.

A bit of wisdom...

2008-12-26T13:41:00.000-08:00

Depression is anger that lacks enthusiasm.
unknown.

Deep Frozen Moments

2008-12-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

I really have to laugh about the way people in Portland react to the weather. Being a Pdx'r all of my life, I think I have the righteousness to tout the absurdities of Portlanders. Here is the thing that has me blogging about it. I recently went to the McMennamin's Kennedy School to attend a 1 year old Birthday party. This happened Saturday the 13TH. One of the friends that came also had their Mother with them. I believe she is from Michigan or Minnesota, But I'm not sure. I am sure it is one of those very cold and snowy places. I mean they are used to the frigid temps over there. So you can imagine what she might be thinking about all of the hubbub in the news about the impending doom of a couple of possible inches of snow. There is really no end to how much conversation PDX'rs generate in the Midwest. School closures, business being closed, frozen pipes That whole thing.
I am a Building Engineer by trade and like to think of myself as being blessed with most all things structure related. Wiring, plumbing, insulation, appliances of all types. My annual budget for technician repairs for the last ten years has been in the negative of around 100 dollars, meaning I am the tech and sometimes take cash or barter for services.
That being said I am embarrassed to say the pipes in my house are currently frozen and I will not know the extent of the possible damage until about a week from now.
I am going to try to do the very thing that is Mission Impossible. Go and buy some heat tape for the now frozen pipe that feeds the spare house. Its kind of like trying to buy tire chains at the first snow. You are supposed to think of that stuff in advance. So I will try to find some of this heat tape tonight, after work, along side everyone of the other sheep that cant think beyond the feeding trough.

Wish me luck.

The Morning Regret.

2008-12-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

OK then... I awoke this morning, just five and a half hours of sleep. The bladder always seems to wake me around 4 AM. Went to bed about 3:45 AM last night. Awake at 8 AM and realizing I just willy nilly created a blog. Oh....Uh....Mmm....I must have been more mental than usual. I do have other Bloggish things on the Internet and I don't feel they are that horrible. But last night was impulsive and reckless. My topic is out of focus and not well revised.
So I say what the hell! I'll just try to improve as I go. At least I did not reveal some long held secret, or upload a bunch of bad pictures that Lisa would hate me for. That is for Facebook.
Today is December 13Th 2008 and 'tis the season to share.

!Happy Holidays!

Being Green

2008-12-13T01:34:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to get on board with the whole "Go Green" thing. There is a barrage of people trying to get the brainwashing rolling and to many degrees It seems to be working. This is to me, a huge topic. We could start out that scientists agree that the sky is falling as of today IF....IF.....we don't change our evil ways and stop raping the planet of resources and polluting the atmosphere, the planet is going to fall flat on its face. It will all be on the shoulders of the human race. A shameful time it will be. BAH! Al Gore, Recipient of the Nobel peace prize, has been saying it for nary three decades. There are a few things I have run up against since following along.

Did you know that the sun has been in an increased output state and has been for several years. That means there is more solar radioactivity bombarding the planet than there was in the past. What has happened to the hole in the atmosphere? No one is talking about it. Did you know that a Mt St. Helen's, when it erupted caused more pollution than and devastation than all of the USA for 10 years (Need to fact check that). Did you know that there are oceanic geothermal volcanic vents that spew millions of tons of poison into the ocean continuously. Lets not dis include that same fact that the same vents are also spewing out superheated steam into the ocean and is heating up the waters as we speak. Have you ever tried to Google images of Shanghai China to see the smogged up air. Try Hong Kong too. Just type "air pollution in Shanghai". There are those that might not believe there is a warming trend occurring. In fact, some even say that we are heading into an ice age. I happen to think, knowing a bit about the inner workings of modern mankind, that unless there is a profit or the resources dry up, change is to be very expensive and very slow. You might say that the world has begun to change now. But I tell you that there is no group of people changing the world that is not getting paid.

The gas prices have receded to a reasonable amount in the last few weeks and this time it seem to be different. Usually the prices begin climbing a bit before Thanksgiving and show no sign of relief until Christmas is well over. This is the first time that I have noticed that not happening. I know you are thinking that the reason is that people are not traveling as much because of those prices. But if the prices are at a 3 year low and still declining, why are the travelers not traveling. Maybe you say SUV owners and the like minded were using more than production could handle. Then why close so many of the refineries that would have met demand. About two years ago the news was filled with the news of an end of crude was neigh. they said 20 to 30 years from now. Today... Not even a blip on the news. No, today the news feels that Pit bull attacks are the most news worthy. There is an afternoon on YouTube. I really must add that EXXON reported the best profit margin in the history of life as we know it. The earnings (profit that is) came out to something like $1500 per second. PER SECOND! Meanwhile we are all trying to afford gas at about $4.25 a gallon. Yes people changed then. Money was involved. Wow I have jumped topic. When did that happen?

I suppose I should end this ramble, but I need to get this out. The planet will not change until some one is profiting from it. Here is how it worked in Portland about 15 yeas ago. It was a time before curbside recycling existed. You could save your metal and paper, take it in and get paid for it. Many people did this. I did it. You got paid to cash in your paper, aluminium, glass the list goes on and on. The people wanted to do something with plastic where we had no program. Nothing happened for a very long time. Then Metro got government backing and forced everyone to do it curbside, they made you pay for it too. That sucked! You used to be able to sell it and now you have to pay to have it hauled away. At the time that was some dry meat to swallow. Today they have improved upon it and profit very nicely. Why not profit? I wish it was my brain child. The system is getting very efficient. Assuming that you are a good citizen and recycle most all of the time, take a good look at what is left in the garbage after all of the recycling. I find mostly food and plastic. PLASTIC! That is why we wanted recycling in the first place. (I also acknowledge the saving of resources too). If you haven't looked, try it. Back to what I am saying....

The things we are not doing to help preserve our habitat are not being done because there is not yet a profit to be had.

This subject, for me has touched on so many different areas that I feel so strongly about. I mostly am disgusted with the greed factor and I do not exempt myself from the "not doing anything about it" scenario. I am trying to plan for the future of my planet for the kids I never had. I do not believe that, in my lifetime, I will see the planet run out of gas. I also do not think we , in my lifetime will cease to use coal as a fundamental for electricity. Plastic will eventually be the poison that could kill us all.

But not in my lifetime. Besides someone has to tell me what it is going to cost. Global warming, next ice age, limited resources, plastic, hate, pit bulls. Jeez! Do you think that it is possible that everyone is looking for a profit? It would help to explain why everything in the world is suddenly going sideways. If they can sell you on a partial truth or misinform you or mis use statistics to leverage their business plan, then we can truly save the world.