YET *EVEN* MORE things that made you happy today!

[von Corax]

My new place has wheelie bins. My old place had a dumpster at the back of the parking lot. I like wheelie bins so much better.

[SeVeNeVeS]

I bought a knackered old small bench vice from a car boot about 5 years ago for 2 quid. Spent a day playing with it yesterday bit of a faff but it's like brand new, works and will now be put to good use.
I love tinkering with stuff.

[The Bullet]

After pickung up my daughter from Kindergarten we tested one of my old fire pumps (TS2/5 for those interested). She is only six years old but can operate the pump (except for the recoil starter).
Spent some time emptying the underground rainwater tank.
Fire brigade seems to be genetically programmed in our family.
Me for more than 30 years, my father, uncle, both grandfathers,....

[Synistor 303]

After pickung up my daughter from Kindergarten we tested one of my old fire pumps (TS2/5 for those interested). She is only six years old but can operate the pump (except for the recoil starter).
Spent some time emptying the underground rainwater tank.
Fire brigade seems to be genetically programmed in our family.
Me for more than 30 years, my father, uncle, both grandfathers,....

Oh I do like hearing that your daughter has a solid grasp on the fire brigade engineering. I might be a little biased where girls are concerned, having only daughters and granddaughters and having to put up with my brother telling how 'hard' everything has been for his poor sons as they never really achieved anything near what my girls did (through hard work!). Now he has only granddaughters and I am waiting for him to start telling me how hard it is for them... Hasn't happened yet.

[The Bullet]

Oh, we spend a lot of time in the workshop.
She has her own toolbox.
We built several shelves/cupboards for her room.
She is allowed to use my big pillar drill (I have the switches, she "just" pulls the lever to drill the hole or countersink). Battery drill, spanners and screwdrivers are no problem to her as well.
She has put the cupboards together. I just stood and watched.
Only painting ends up with 50% of the paint on herself....
We have also repaired an old 1.6 kW Petrol generator.
(one with the legendary Barkas EL150 two-stroke motor)
This thing was built for the GDR army in 1974 and had less than 300 running hours on the clock.
Good old German engineering.
You need a few spanners and a flathead screwdriver to take everything apart.
No clips, no rivets, no glue. These things were made with a view on maintenance.

She is also the reason that I have two TS 2/5 pumps.
We refurbished the red one (firebrigade version) and I showed the pics of my daughter using it to a friend. He asked if I needed spares. Of course. For an old thing like that. He told us to come round and pick up some spares.
We were given another TS 2/5 as "spares". Millitary version, identical except for the green colour and missing lamp on the pressure gauge. This one had a broken shaft, due to the rpm governor having failed.
We took it apart, found spares and now have two working TS 2/5 Pumps.
Next project on the list was a TS 05/5. A tiny pump weighing only 13 kgs (ready to run, full tank) with a 32cc two stroke motor. Lots of fun getting our handy dirty.

I often have to hear silly talk at Kindergarten from other parents. Things like:
Workshop!! Thats sooo dangerous.
It is not, if there is proper supervision. This is the way I learned it as a child.

The best on the list (or worst) comment came from a mother picking up her son:
"Why would she be in the workshop?"
I said she wanted to join in and I let her as long as she is interested.
The next comment from this person was hard to take without saying what I thought in that moment:
"BUT SHE`S A GIRL!"
I just managed to keep my mouth shut. This was quite an effort. There were so many things I wanted to say but none would have been polite.

Some people....

[J. Wilhelm]

I got the second phonecall from the doctors telling me that my mother's condition is improving. Her kidneys are back to normal, but her heart is very weak, and yet she's gaining strength.

Also, though perhaps temporary, I'm enjoying in a certain way my "Mid-century Bungalow" at "Camp Randall."





This room is very large!

[Cora Courcelle]

Good news Admiral

[J. Wilhelm]

Good news Admiral

Indeed, I got called a 3rd and 4th time with news of slow but steady improvements.  The doctor does say it'll be a very long time before she's able to leave hospital, though.  Looks like the second doctor (besides the team lead), the one who suggested hospice is no longer working on the case.  The team lead is far more optimistic.

[von Corax]

Indeed, splendid news, JW.

It's 20° in the Capitol of Turkeys right now, and I have all my windows open!

[SeVeNeVeS]

Every week I take my van for a drive to charge the battery usually early in the morning.
One of my favourite pit stops is a car park on a hill which overlooks my city , has a convenient burger van open 24/7.
This morning..... a great sunrise then sat with a coffee and a bacon roll watching the wildlife and birds with my trusty pocket book. https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1071994808/1969-pocket-book-of-british-birds?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details
Because you are sat on a rise you see some wonderful birds in flight. Todays was a flock of geese at eye level about 10 yards away.
I love it.
I may try and take some photos next time and post them in photography.

[von Corax]

After two months my computer finally has a desk under it again.

[J. Wilhelm]

Little things made me happy this weekend. Stumbled upon a new Chipotle flavored sausage made by my local supermarket chain and combined it with a basil-Alfredo sauce over Capellini ("Angel Hair" pasta).  Absolutely delectable. Smokey, not too spicy new favorite.

Got a small pay raise

My schedule changes every week. For the next two weeks (Saturday through Friday) I'll be getting Saturdays and Sundays off (like a normal human being!!). Yesterday I got Friday off, so in total three days off this weekend.

I get to file my taxes over the internet.  My refund will be deposited very quickly directly to my bank account. A cool extra $1k, in my  bank account in the next couple of weeks I believe.

[Cora Courcelle]

Went to the first meeting of a new craft group last week and feedback today is good so it looks like it will be continuing - I thought it was chaotic fun and I'm glad others felt the same 😊

[Sorontar]

When we sold our previous house, it was amazing how much we put in storage about 1 mile away so we had more space when showing the place off to potential buyers. The problem is 5 years later, my office in our present home still has things (mainly books) in boxes, but at least I know they are here.

Sorontar

[Sir Henry]

I called a friend and had a chat this afternoon.

It was only a short call, but it's the first time I've spoken to anyone other than my wife, son or cashier at the supermarket (and you lot) in well over two months. I was supposed to go to a party a week ago but had a panic attack instead, so today's call was the first baby step back to being social, I hope.

[SeVeNeVeS]

I called a friend and had a chat this afternoon.

It was only a short call, but it's the first time I've spoken to anyone other than my wife, son or cashier at the supermarket (and you lot) in well over two months. I was supposed to go to a party a week ago but had a panic attack instead, so today's call was the first baby step back to being social, I hope.

Thumbs up to that. One step at a time.

My happy today........ I finally received the deeds to my mums house, I was expecting a piece of paper but I got a whole folder of documents 8 inches thick, dating from 1862 to the present.
I'm almost scared to touch some of them, crumpled, old and flakey, tied in a purple ribbon in a bow.
Anyway, at least I can put the thing on the market now.

[Sir Henry]

I called a friend and had a chat this afternoon.

It was only a short call, but it's the first time I've spoken to anyone other than my wife, son or cashier at the supermarket (and you lot) in well over two months. I was supposed to go to a party a week ago but had a panic attack instead, so today's call was the first baby step back to being social, I hope.

Thumbs up to that. One step at a time.

My happy today........ I finally received the deeds to my mums house, I was expecting a piece of paper but I got a whole folder of documents 8 inches thick, dating from 1862 to the present.
I'm almost scared to touch some of them, crumpled, old and flakey, tied in a purple ribbon in a bow.
Anyway, at least I can put the thing on the market now.

Those old documents often make fascinating reading. When we bought our current house the old paperwork included the original deeds with the proviso that a dwelling house had to be built on the property within 9 months of purchase. Our solicitor confirmed that that clause could probably be ignored, even if it could still be legally binding.
It also told us that the wilderness behind our garden was part of the property, thus more than doubling the size of the garden in one sentence.
So yes, it is worth having a look at those dirty deeds.

[SeVeNeVeS]

In my deeds it states as the land on which my house now sits was once owned by the church it is still illegal to have a travelling circus or wondering tradesmen/ tinkers in my now garden.

Oh bugger, and I had plans for Billy Smart or cirque du soleilto set up camp so I could make some money......

Oh well.

[The Bullet]

Bird box: little birds are grown so I guess they will leave in the next few days.

But today I had an absolute first:
I always have a small bowl with mealworms standing on a table outside for the birds.
Mother bird picks the worms up even with me sitting at this table, less than half a metre from the bowl, so well within reach.

Over the last years I always tried holding the bowl in my hand and wait for mother bord to come and pick up some worms. she never did.

She always waits for me in the mornings, when the bowl i empty and I come outside to fill it.
Normally she sits on the roof of the garage or shed and just watches me.

Today I gave it another try and held the bowl towards her.
She came flying to me, sat down on the edge of the bowl, looked at me for a few seconds and then started picking up worms and delivering them into the bird box to her little ones.
She came back every time to get more.

This was a great experience.

[von Corax]

Bird box: little birds are grown so I guess they will leave in the next few days.

But today I had an absolute first:
I always have a small bowl with mealworms standing on a table outside for the birds.
Mother bird picks the worms up even with me sitting at this table, less than half a metre from the bowl, so well within reach.

Over the last years I always tried holding the bowl in my hand and wait for mother bord to come and pick up some worms. she never did.

She always waits for me in the mornings, when the bowl i empty and I come outside to fill it.
Normally she sits on the roof of the garage or shed and just watches me.

Today I gave it another try and held the bowl towards her.
She came flying to me, sat down on the edge of the bowl, looked at me for a few seconds and then started picking up worms and delivering them into the bird box to her little ones.
She came back every time to get more.

This was a great experience.

I remember several years ago I was sitting on my parents' patio, practicing inner stillness, when I noticed a female Northern Oriole in the adjacent lilac bush. A moment later, she took flight in my general direction. Then she was flying directly toward me. Then she was flying directly at my face.

Reflexively I raised my hand, and the bird landed on my outstretched fingertips, and looked at me as if to say, "Where the Hell did you come from?"

[The Bullet]

Today I spent some time watching the little birds leave the box for the first time.
Got some good pictures of some of them.